A logo is pictured outside a building of the United Nations AIDS agency (UNAIDS) in Geneva, Switzerland, April 6, 2021. Picture taken April 6, 2021. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

Six million people could die from HIV and AIDS if US funding stops, UN agency warns

By Reuters

February 7, 2025

GENEVA, Feb 7 (Reuters) - More than six million people could die from HIV and AIDS in the next four years if U.S. President Donald Trump's administration pulls its global funding for programmes, the United Nations AIDS agency said on Friday.

Although a waiver was placed on HIV/AIDS programmes in last month's U.S. foreign aid funding freeze, many concerns remained about the future of treatment programmes, the deputy executive director of UNAIDS told reporters in Geneva.

"There is a lot of confusion especially on the community level, how the waiver will be implemented. We're seeing a lot of disruption of delivery of treatment services", Christine Stegling said.

Trump put hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of foreign aid donations on hold for 90 days upon taking office on January 20. In the following days, the U.S. State Department issued a waiver on the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) - the world's leading HIV initiative - for life-saving humanitarian assistance.

While welcoming the waiver, Stegling stressed the situation remains chaotic.

Amid a broader decline of funding, Stegling warned there would be a 400% increase in AIDS deaths if PEPFAR financial support is not re-authorized between 2025 and 2029.

"That's 6.3 million people, 6.3 million AIDS-related deaths that will occur in future...Any penny, any cut, any pause, will matter for all of us" she said, urging U.N. member states to step in.

"In Ethiopia, we have 5,000 public health worker contracts that are funded by U.S. assistance. And all of these have been terminated," Stegling said.

She highlighted that community clinics were facing the biggest interruption as they are "entirely dependent" on U.S. government funding.

She expressed concern that some people may not come forward for treatment, which could in turn increase new HIV infections.

U.S. donations account for the majority of global funding for the U.N. programme that operates in 70 countries, leading global efforts to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

Trump's administration says it is reviewing all foreign-aid programmes to see if they align with his "America First" policy.🔺

Exclusive: Zelenskiy says 'Let's do a deal', offering Trump mineral partnership, seeking security

Exclusive: Zelenskiy says 'Let's do a deal', offering Trump mineral partnership, seeking security

By Tom Balmforth and Olena Harmash

February 7, 2025

Summary

• In interview, Ukraine's Zelenskiy offers mineral partnership to US
• Zelenskiy emphasizes need for security guarantees in any deal
• Ukrainian president keen to speak to Trump before Putin does Ukraine proposes using its gas storage for U.S. LNG supplies

KYIV, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pored over a once-classified map of vast deposits of rare earths and other critical minerals during an interview with Reuters on Friday, part of a push to appeal to Donald Trump's penchant for a deal.

The U.S. president, whose administration is pressing for a rapid end to Ukraine's war with Russia, said on Monday he wanted Ukraine to supply the U.S. with rare earths and other minerals in return for financially supporting its war effort.

"If we are talking about a deal, then let's do a deal, we are only for it," Zelenskiy said, emphasising Ukraine's need for security guarantees from its allies as part of any settlement.

Ukraine floated the idea of opening its critical minerals to investment by allies last autumn, as it presented a "victory plan" that sought to put it in the strongest position for talks and force Moscow to the table.

Zelenskiy said less than 20% of Ukraine's mineral resources, including about half its rare earth deposits, were under Russian occupation.

Rare earths are important in the manufacture of high-performance magnets, electric motors and consumer electronics; Zelenskiy said Moscow could open those resources to its allies North Korea and Iran, both sworn U.S. enemies.

"We need to stop Putin and protect what we have - a very rich Dnipro region, central Ukraine," he said.

Russian troops have been gaining ground in the east for months, throwing huge resources into an unrelenting offensive while Kyiv's much smaller army grapples with a shortage of soldiers and frets over future weapons supplies from abroad.

Zelenskiy unfurled a map on a table in the heavily-defended president's office in Kyiv, showing numerous mineral deposits, including a broad strip of land in the east marked as containing rare earths. Around half of it looked to be on Russia's side of the current frontlines.

He said Ukraine had Europe's largest reserves of titanium, essential for the aviation and space industry, and uranium, used for nuclear energy and weapons.

Many of the titanium deposits were marked in northwestern Ukraine, far from the fighting.

Ukraine has rapidly retuned its foreign policy approach to align with the transactional world view set out by the new occupant of the White House, Ukraine's most important ally.

But Zelenskiy emphasised that Kyiv was not proposing "giving away" its resources, but offering a mutually beneficial partnership to develop them jointly:

"The Americans helped the most, and therefore the Americans should earn the most. And they should have this priority, and they will. I would also like to talk about this with President Trump."

He said Russia knew in detail where Ukraine's critical resources were from Soviet-era geological surveys that had been taken back to Moscow when Kyiv gained independence in 1991.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shows Reuters journalists a map of
strategic resources and objects  REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

In addition, Zelenskiy said Kyiv and the White House were discussing the idea of using Ukraine's vast underground gas storage sites to store U.S. liquefied natural gas.

"I know that the Trump administration is very interested in it ... We're ready and willing to have contracts for LNG supplies to Ukraine. And of course, we will be a hub for the whole of Europe," he said.

ZELENSKIY WANTS MEETING WITH TRUMP BEFORE US-RUSSIA TALKS

The interview comes days before the February 14-16 Munich Security Conference, where officials from dozens of Western countries will converge at an unpredictable juncture in the nearly three-year-old war.

Zelenskiy said he planned to attend the forum, where Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, is also expected.

The Ukrainian leader said it was essential that he met Trump in person before the U.S. president meets Russian President Vladimir Putin, "otherwise it will look like a dialogue about Ukraine without Ukraine".

Trump said on Friday that he expected to talk to Zelenskiy next week. Zelenskiy said his own priority would be raising Ukraine's need for security guarantees as part of any deal, to prevent Russia launching another invasion in the future.

In general though, it was vital the West determined a broad strategy before entering into talks with Moscow.

He said there were already regular contacts between his team and Kellogg and Trump national security adviser Michael Waltz.

"Every day we have contacts, we talk about general things, but the specifics will come a little later," he said.

Trump's peace push comes as advancing Russian forces threaten the major Ukrainian logistics hub of Pokrovsk.

On the battlefield, Zelenskiy confirmed for the first time that his troops had launched a new offensive on Thursday, advancing 2.5 km (1.5 miles) further into Russia's Kursk region.

Russia had reported a Ukrainian attack in the area that day, but said it was repelled.

Zelenskiy said thousands of North Korean troops fighting on Russia's side had now returned to active combat against Kyiv's forces in Kursk after a pause of several weeks.

Next week, the government intends to launch lucrative recruitment contracts to entice young men aged 18-24 - below draft age - into the armed forces to help ease a manpower shortage. Zelenskiy declined to say how many men were expected to sign up.

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Impeach AG : Ahimsa writes to PM, Full letter: 06 February 2025

 Impeach AG : Ahimsa writes to PM, Full letter: 06 February 2025

‘Govt looking into fresh indictments’: PM assures justice for Lasantha’s family

‘Govt looking into fresh indictments’: PM assures justice for Lasantha’s family

ADA February 7, 2025  

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring justice for the family of slain journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge, emphasizing the need to reassess legal procedures that hinder justice.

Speaking in Parliament today (07), she acknowledged the letter sent by Ms. Ahimsa Wickrematunge, the daughter of the former Sunday Leader Editor, describing it as measured given the immense suffering the family has endured for years.

“The letter that Ms. Ahimsa Wickremetunga has sent to me is also measured, given the circumstances and given what this family has had to endure for these past…I don’t know how many years…So, we’re very determined, because at the end of the day the purpose of having a judicial system, the Attorney General’s Office, all of these institutions is to deliver justice and if procedures come in the way of delivering justice, then we need to re-examine those procedures”, she stated.

The Prime Minister revealed that several actions have already been taken and that the government expects the Attorney General to take further steps. She noted that the government is exploring the possibility of initiating fresh indictments in the case.

While acknowledging the systemic challenges within legal institutions, she stressed that change is necessary and that victims should not be left waiting indefinitely.

“This is a highly sensitive issue, and we are fully aware of its gravity. We will do everything within our power. Additionally, we are prepared to allocate a full-day parliamentary debate to address this matter because we recognize its utmost importance,” she affirmed.

Commenting further, the PM noted: “Let us not forget that the Attorney General’s Department and related institutions, even though there are officers with good intentions, they have got used to a particular way of working, they have worked within a particular culture. That also needs to change. That takes time, but taking time doesn’t mean that victims can wait forever for answers.”↑