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His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani reaffirmed Qatar's support for peace efforts, expressing His Highness's confidence in the ability of countries backing the plan of President of the friendly US of America Donald Trump, to reach a just settlement that ensures security and stability in the region and safeguards the rights of the Palestinian people.This came during a phone call His Highness the Amir received Wednesday from the US president. During the call, the two sides discussed developments regarding President Trump's plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip.They also discussed the close strategic relations between the two countries across various fields of partnership and bilateral cooperation, in addition to exchanging views on a number of other regional and international developments of mutual interest.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised his US counterpart, Donald Trump, for his efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip. "I commend US President Donald Trump's efforts and leadership aimed at halting the bloodshed in Gaza and achieving a ceasefire," Erdogan said via X platform. The Turkish president added that Turkiye would continue to support the diplomatic process, aiming to establish "a just and lasting peace acceptable to all parties."

Eight Arab and Muslim nations welcomed Trump's 'sincere efforts' to end the Gaza war in a joint statement Monday. "The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt welcome President Trump's leadership and his sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza, and assert their confidence in his ability to find a path to peace. They emphasize the importance of the partnership with the US in securing peace in the region. Along these lines, the ministers welcome the announcement by President Trump regarding his proposal to end the war, rebuild Gaza, prevent the displacement of the Palestinian people and advance a comprehensive peace, as well as his announcement that he will not allow the annexation of the West Bank. The ministers affirm their readiness to engage positively and constructively with the US and the parties toward finalizing the agreement and ensuring its implementation, in a manner that ensures peace, security, and stability for the peoples of the region. They reaffirm their joint commitment to work with the US to end the war in Gaza through a comprehensive deal that ensures unrestricted delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza, no displacement of the Palestinians, the release of hostages, a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all sides, full Israeli withdrawal, rebuilds Gaza and creates a path for a just peace on the basis of the two state solution, under which Gaza is fully integrated with the West Bank in a Palestinian state in accordance with international law as key to achieving regional stability and security. "

President of the US of America Donald Trump voiced his deep appreciation for the efforts of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to achieve peace and stability in the region, describing His Highness as an amazing person who seeks peace.During a press conference held Monday, the US president stressed the importance of Qatar's pivotal and strategic role as a reliable and effective mediator in efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East, emphasising the significance of its constructive contribution to achieving diplomatic solutions.He also noted the wonderful and productive phone call he had earlier Monday with HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, stressing the importance of the close partnership and ongoing coordination with Qatar in supporting peace efforts and enhancing regional stability.

After days of speculation, the White House on Monday released a 20-point plan for ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza, releasing hostages held by Hamas, and outlining the Palestinian enclave's future.Speaking alongside President Donald Trump at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave cautious backing to plan.Here is the plan, as released by the White House:Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025 agreement.Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the "Board of Peace," which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump's peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.

President Donald Trump unveiled a wide-ranging Gaza peace plan Monday and won backing from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.The 20-point plan, which Trump has also circulated to Arab leaders, calls for a ceasefire, release of hostages by Hamas, disarmament of Hamas and gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.Other key points include deployment of a "temporary international stabilisation force" and creation of a transitional authority headed by Trump himself and featuring other foreign leaders.The deal would demand resistance movement Hamas fighters fully disarm and be excluded from future roles in the government. However, those who agreed to "peaceful co-existence" would be given amnesty.Following Israeli withdrawal, the borders would be opened to aid and investment.In a crucial change from Trump's earlier apparent goals, Palestinians will not be forced to leave Gaza and instead, the document said, "we will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza."Netanyahu made clear he was in favour, saying it "achieves our war aims," while Trump said he was hopeful that Hamas would also give its backing.Approval from all sides was "beyond very close," Trump said. Proposal calls for release of hostages within 48 hours of ceasefire.However, many important details remained to be clarified.The US president had met key Arab leaders at the United Nations last week and said Sunday on social media that " all are on board for something special, first time ever".Normally a staunch ally of Netanyahu, the US president has shown increasing signs of frustration ahead of the Israeli premier's fourth White House visit since Trump's return to power.Trump was infuriated by Israel's recent strike on Hamas members in key US ally Qatar.And he warned Netanyahu last week against annexing the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as some of Netanyahu's cabinet members have urged, a move that would seriously complicate the route to Palestinian statehood.Netanyahu's coalition government is propped up by the far-right ministers who oppose a peace deal.Hamas' apparent absence from the negotiations has raised questions about the prospects for the latest initiative.Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continued across the Gaza Strip, killing at least four people in Khan Younis, according to the Hamas-run territory's civil defense agency.Families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza urged Trump to uphold his Gaza proposal.And in Gaza, people expressed a mix of hope, exhaustion and distrust ahead of the White House meeting.Israel's offensive has killed 66,055 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory.

Hamas has not received US President Donald Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan, the Palestinian resistance group which runs the enclave said Saturday as Israeli forces expanded their assault on Gaza City. "Hamas has not been presented with any plan," a Hamas official who asked not to be named told Reuters.In his comments to reporters on Friday in which he said "it's looking like we have a deal on Gaza", Trump offered no details of its contents and gave no timetable. Israel has not yet made any public response to Trump's comments.Trump is due on Monday to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads a hard-right governing coalition opposed to ending the Gaza war until Hamas is destroyed.Trump also said on Friday talks on Gaza with Middle Eastern nations were intense and would continue as long as required.His special envoy Steve Witkoff said the US president had presented proposals to the leaders of multiple Muslim-majority countries this week that included a 21-point Middle East peace plan.In Gaza meanwhile, the fighting continued.The Israeli military said its aircraft struck 120 targets across the strip over the past day as troops pressed deeper into Gaza City. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 74 people were killed in Gaza in the last 24 hours.In a post on social media platform X, the military's Arabic spokesman repeated calls for Gaza City residents to evacuate.

An Afghan government defence official said Sunday that a deal over Bagram air base was "not possible", after US President Donald Trump said he wanted the former US base back.Bagram, the largest air base in Afghanistan located north of the capital Kabul, was the centre of US operations in their 20 year-war against the Taliban.Trump threatened unspecified punishment against Afghanistan if it was not returned — four years after it was abandoned by US troops."If Afghanistan doesn't give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!" the 79-year-old leader wrote on his Truth Social platform.On Sunday, Fasihuddin Fitrat, chief of staff of Afghanistan's ministry of defence, said "some people" want to take back the base through a "political deal"."Recently, some people have said that they have entered negotiations with Afghanistan for taking back Bagram air base," he said in comments broadcast by local media."A deal over even an inch of Afghanistan's soil is not possible. We don't need it."Later in an official statement, the Afghan government said warned that "Afghanistan's independence and territorial integrity are of the utmost importance".Trump has repeatedly criticised the loss of the base, noting its proximity to China.But Thursday while on a state visit to Britain was the first time he publicly raised the idea of the United States retaking control of it.US and Nato troops chaotically pulled out of Bagram in July 2021, under Joe Biden's presidency but as part of a 2020 Trump-brokered deal with Taliban insurgents.The loss of crucial air power saw the Afghan military collapse just weeks later and the Taliban sweep back to power.Trump was asked by reporters at the White House if he was considering sending US troops to retake Bagram."We won't talk about that, but we're talking now to Afghanistan, and we want it back and we want it back soon, right away. And if they don't do it, you're going to find out what I'm going to do," he said.A massive, sprawling facility, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and others have repeatedly raised allegations of systematic human rights abuses by US forces at Bagram, especially pertaining to detainees in Washington's murky "War on Terror".The original airfield was built with assistance from what was then the Soviet Union in the early 1950s, expanded with US help during the Cold War, and significantly developed further by Moscow during the decade-long Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.At the height of US control around 2010 it had grown to the size of a small town, with supermarkets and shops including outlets such as Dairy Queen and Burger King.It was visited by several US presidents including Barrack Obama in 2012 and Trump in 2019.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani received a call on Tuesday from President of the US of America Donald Trump. During the call, the US president expressed his solidarity with Qatar and his strong condemnation of the attack on its sovereignty, noting that diplomatic resolutions could resolve outstanding issues in the region. The US President expressed his appreciation of the tireless mediation efforts made by His Highness the Amir and the State of Qatar, highlighting their active role in establishing peace in the region. He stressed that Qatar was a trusted strategic partner, calling on His Highness the Amir to continue Qatar's mediation efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip. For his part, His Highness the Amir stressed that Qatar condemns and denounces, in the strongest terms, the reckless and criminal attack given it is a clear violation of the country's sovereignty and security, adding that it was a clear violation of international law's principles, and held the Israeli entity responsible for its repercussions, in light of the policy of aggression they adopt that threatens the region's stability and obstructs efforts to de-escalate and reach sustainable diplomatic solutions. His Highness the Amir called on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities regarding these outrageous actions, and to hold those involved accountable, expressing hope that the US of America would support such a just approach. His Highness the Amir stressed in that regard that Qatar will take all the measures necessary to protect its security and sovereignty, and that it will continue its constructive approach of supporting brothers and friends, as well as just humanitarian causes to promote international peace and security.

President Donald Trump has launched an unprecedented attack on wind and solar power as he seeks to reshape the US energy landscape and reverse the green agenda put forward by his predecessor.Since Trump returned to office in January, his administration has taken aim at projects on federal lands and oceans, stopping work on wind farms, revoking permits, and making it more difficult for new renewable energy developments to secure approval. He’s also weakened the economics of wind and solar projects more broadly, pushing legislation through Congress that phases out key tax breaks and moving to tighten access to these incentives.The broadsides have thrown the US clean energy industry into crisis, putting billions of dollars of investment at risk and threatening thousands of jobs. It’s a sharp reversal from just three years ago, when the sector hailed the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act under then-President Joe Biden as the most significant piece of climate legislation in US history.Why does Trump dislike renewables?Trump has criticised solar and wind as being unreliable and expensive. He’s called for more power to be generated from fossil fuels, namely natural gas and coal, as well as nuclear.Renewables generation is intermittent as the sun isn’t always shining nor the wind blowing. But developers are increasingly turning to batteries to store surplus power and discharge it to the grid when needed.Trump also isn’t a fan of how renewable power installations look, describing solar projects as “big ugly patches of black plastic that come from China” and mar farmland.He’s been a vehement critic of wind turbines for years, falsely claiming they cause cancer and deriding them as bird-killing eyesores. Before his first presidential term, Trump lost a legal challenge in the UK to prevent an offshore wind project from being built within sight of a golf course he owns in Aberdeen, Scotland.“Windmills are a disgrace,” he said in July after a visit to the course. “They hurt everything they touch. They’re ugly. They’re very inefficient. It’s the most expensive form of energy there is.” Looking at the levelised cost of electricity the long-term price a power plant needs to break even offshore wind is much more expensive than a new gas-fired facility, but it’s cost-competitive with coal and cheaper than nuclear, according to BloombergNEF’s assessment published in February. Meanwhile, onshore wind, as well as solar, is cheap enough to compete with a new-build gas plant.How has Trump sought to curb wind and solar developments?The Trump administration has harnessed its oversight of millions of acres of federal land and waters, where developers need government authorisation to build. While these areas are being made easier to explore for the oil and gas industry as part of Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” agenda, the government is imposing standards that would essentially prevent new renewables installations.On Trump’s first day back in office, he froze permitting for all wind projects on federal land and oceans, and indefinitely halted the sale of new leases for offshore wind development. He also directed the Interior Department to review the “necessity of terminating or amending any existing wind energy leases” and to identify “any legal bases for such removal.” Since then, a number of wind projects have been upended. This includes the Revolution Wind development off the coast of Rhode Island. The government issued an order halting construction of the project which is already 80% complete citing national security concerns. This sent shares of developer Orsted A/S to record lows and added to the Danish company’s mounting troubles. Orsted’s Revolution Wind LLC unit filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in early September, seeking to overturn the stop-work order so that it can finish the project.For developers hoping to get past the planning stage, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has ordered that all solar and wind projects on federal lands require his personal sign-off, which could mire the approval process in red tape. The department said it’s acting in accordance with Trump’s order to end “preferential treatment” for these technologies.As part of this mandate, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management rescinded Biden-era decisions that earmarked coastal waters for future wind turbines. This covers more than 3.5mn acres, including in the Gulf of Mexico, the New York Bight, and off the coast of California and Oregon.How has the Trump administration targeted renewables beyond federal land and waters?Only 4% of operational US renewables capacity is located on federal land. While the government doesn’t have direct control over clean energy developments on private property, many of those projects still need federal approvals that are being held up. In addition, the Trump administration has been trying to make the economics of wind and solar less attractive.Trump has branded efforts to combat climate change as the “Green New Scam” and vowed to do away with subsidies for these activities. The tax-and-spending law he helped push through Congress known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act phases out the tax credits for wind and solar projects years before they were due to expire. On top of this, the Treasury Department has issued guidance making it harder for developments to qualify for the incentives.There could be bad news to come on the tariff front, too. Wind turbines and parts are already subject to the 50% duties Trump imposed on imported steel and aluminium products. But the Commerce Department has opened a so-called Section 232 investigation into the national security implications of importing wind energy components, which could lead to sector-specific levies.It also opened a Section 232 probe into imports of polysilicon a key raw material for solar modules which could result in additional duties on imports.How have these actions impacted the US clean energy industry?The industry had been building momentum as solar and wind power almost tripled their share of US electricity generation over the past decade, topping 15%. But it’s now in a tough spot. Billions of dollars of new factories and clean energy projects have been cancelled, delayed or scaled back since the start of the year.Clean energy advocacy group E2 estimates that $22bn worth of projects were scrapped or downsized from January to June, and more than half of the investment lost was in congressional districts represented by Republicans.Trump’s crackdown on renewables will likely hit smaller and medium-sized companies harder because they lack the financial moat needed to survive the instability. Larger solar developers have expressed more cautious optimism, saying they’ve been able to start enough projects that qualify for the expiring tax credits in order to continue their projects for the next several years.The nascent US offshore wind industry is perhaps in the most precarious position given it was just starting to take off before Trump re-entered the White House.How is this affecting energy prices?That’s a subject of huge debate and has become a hot-button political issue. Electricity prices nationally rose at more than twice the rate of overall inflation in the past year and remained at a record high in June.While the Trump administration says that adding wind and solar to the grid has been pushing up the cost of electricity, data shows that increased spending on power lines and poles has been the biggest driver of utility bill hikes.Utilities have been upgrading their grids to accommodate new sources of generation and demand, and network operators are also trying to improve resilience to extreme weather events and modernise infrastructure that was built in the 1960s and 1970s.Higher electricity costs are a reflection of tight supply as well, as aging coal- and gas-fired plants retire and power consumption rises after years of relatively tepid growth. Demand is being propelled by industrial users and the power-hungry data centres behind artificial intelligence. Slowing the deployment of renewables could exacerbate the situation.The phaseout of wind and solar incentives under Trump’s tax-and-spending law could raise average US household energy bills by $78 to $192 in 2035, and increase annual industrial energy expenditure by $7bn to $11bn, according to the Rhodium Group.Where does this leave the outlook for US renewables?The threat of the federal government pulling the plug on fully permitted and nearly complete assets could make renewables developers and project financiers more wary of making long-term investments in the US, even after Trump has left office. It could also create uncertainty for states such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island that are relying on offshore wind to meet growing power demand and decarbonise their grids.Blue states won’t be the only ones facing challenges. In red Texas the top US state for wind generation and number two for solar behind California all but 6% of new capacity added to the grid since 2020 has come from renewables or batteries, fuelling the power needs of its growing economy. That momentum is at risk of slowing as the accelerated phaseout of tax credits makes wind and solar projects more expensive.Despite the Trump administration’s roadblocks, the US clean energy buildout is expected to continue, albeit more slowly. Solar and batteries are faster to deploy than Trump’s favoured energy sources. There’s currently a multiyear manufacturing backlog for the combined-cycle turbines used in gas plants, while new nuclear capacity whether based on conventional or next-generation reactors is many years away.And onshore wind and solar are expected to be cost-competitive even without subsidies, according to BloombergNEF. In addition, blue states including California and New York are still pushing to expand their clean power fleets.But the outlook for the sector has certainly dimmed. Following the passage of Trump’s tax-and-spending law, BloombergNEF’s revised estimate for new wind, solar and energy storage additions in the US through 2035 is 26% lower than previously projected.

Eight Opec+ countries to meet on SundayOpec+ could also pause hikes for October, source saysNo immediate comment received from Opec or Saudi authoritiesEight Opec+ members will consider further raising oil production at a meeting on Sunday, two sources familiar with the discussions said, as the group seeks to regain market share.Opec+ has reversed its strategy of output cuts from April and has already raised quotas by about 2.5mn barrels per day, about 2.4% of world demand, to boost market share and under pressure from US President Donald Trump to lower oil prices.But those increases have failed to bring down oil prices, which traded near $68 a barrel supported by Western sanctions on Russia and Iran, encouraging further production gains in rivals such as the US.Another output boost would mean Opec+, which pumps about half of the world's oil, would be starting to unwind a second layer of cuts of about 1.65mn barrels per day, or 1.6% of world demand, more than a year ahead of schedule.Eight Opec+ countries are due to hold an online meeting on Sunday expected to decide on October output.Opec+ includes the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus Russia and other allies.There is also a chance, some analysts and an Opec+ source said, that Opec+ could pause the increases for October. A final decision has not been made, the Opec+ source said.Opec headquarters and authorities in Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Brent crude was trading near $68 on Wednesday, down over 1% on the day but up from a 2025 low of near $58 in April.As well as sanctions, the Opec+ hikes falling short of the pledged amounts have also supported prices, analysts have said.Until April, Opec+ had been curtailing production for several years to support oil prices.At their last meeting in August, the eight members raised production by 547,000 bpd for September, completing a total increase in output for the year of 2.5mn bpd. That included a 300,000 bpd additional production allocation for the UAE.The next output cut layer of 1.65mn bpd is in place until the end of 2026, as is another 2mn bpd of cuts by the whole group.

President Donald Trump hosted new Polish President Karol Nawrocki Wednesday at the White House with a military flyover and an offer to send more US troops to the eastern European ally.Talks were expected to focus on efforts to end the war in Ukraine, where Trump's peacemaking efforts have been struggling to get traction.Trump called it a "stupid war" and said he thought ending it would have been "much easier" for him."It's going to get done," he vowed to reporters in the Oval Office, with Nawrocki at his side.Nawrocki, a nationalist historian and fervent Trump supporter, was in Washington for his first foreign visit as president after having visited the US leader to seek his backing during the Polish election campaign.Trump gave him a warm welcome, including an offer to boost the US military footprint in Poland."We'll put more there if they want," he said in the Oval Office. "We're with Poland all the way and we'll help Poland protect itself."Nawrocki praised the US troop presence and said it was "the first time in history" that Poland had been happy to host foreign troops, while stressing that Warsaw aims to keep increasing its own military spending within the NATO alliance.The White House said a flyover by F-16 and F-35 jets during Nawrocki's arrival commemorated the death of a Polish F-16 jet pilot killed last week while preparing for an air show.Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to AFP that the flyover, which featured a so-called "missing-man formation," was staged to "honour the memory of a brave Polish fighter pilot, whose life was tragically taken too soon, and capture the special relationship between our two countries."While Trump and Nawrocki see eye-to-eye politically, Poland is closely watching the US leader's peace efforts in neighbouring Ukraine, which Warsaw has largely been frozen out of.Key Nato and EU member Poland has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion and is a vital transit country for military and humanitarian supplies, as well as host to thousands of US troops.Trump's efforts to get Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the negotiating table have so far stalled.Putin vowed during a visit to Beijing Wednesday to keep fighting in Ukraine if a peace deal cannot be reached, while Zelensky said he hoped to talk to Trump today about possible additional sanctions against Russia.Nawrocki will also be seeking fresh support from Trump amid deep political polarization in Poland between himself and his country's pro-EU government, led by former European Council chief Donald Tusk.The novice Polish president recently blocked a law extending Ukrainian refugees' rights proposed by Tusk's government. Nawrocki has also, like Trump, opposed Ukraine's desire for Nato membership.The visit is nevertheless a chance for Trump to celebrate the election of yet another right-wing ally in Europe.Trump welcomed Nawrocki to the Oval Office in June before the Polish election, with the White House posting a picture of the pair grinning and giving the thumbs-up sign.During the election campaign, Nawrocki highlighted the importance of ties with the United States and his close ties with Trump. His "Poland First, Poles First" echoed Trump's "America First" slogan.