The Senate is seeking to rein in the Trump administration’s policy toward Ukraine, which has oscillated between support and sudden withdrawal, leaving allies and officials guessing.

After President Donald Trump recently agreed to resume sending weapons to Ukraine, the Senate’s annual defense policy bill would curb the kind of executive branch adventurism that has sparked bipartisan concern, particularly regarding Pentagon decisions.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), unveiled Friday after bipartisan negotiations by the Senate Armed Services Committee, includes specific guardrails on U.S. military cooperation. One provision stipulates that the secretary of defense cannot unilaterally cease military intelligence sharing and targeting cooperation with Ukraine.

This move follows a March episode in which the Trump administration abruptly paused both intelligence support and weapons shipments to Ukraine while the president pursued backchannel diplomacy with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Though the freeze was later lifted, the incident alarmed lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. 

TRUMP REVEALS NATO SALE TO BOOST ARMS TO UKRAINE AS PUTIN LAUNCHES OVERNIGHT MATERNITY HOSPITAL STRIKE

The NDAA also «reaffirms that it is the policy of the United States to assist Ukraine in maintaining a credible defense» and boosts the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative to $500 million. 

The bill bars Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from reducing U.S. force posture in Europe or relinquishing the U.S. role as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander without an impact analysis and certification to Congress that such changes align with U.S. interests.

The new provisions arrive amid a notable shift in Trump’s rhetoric, which has turned more supportive of Ukraine and more critical of Putin.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon once again paused delivery of previously pledged defensive aid to Kyiv, citing an internal assessment of U.S. stockpiles. Reports indicate that this pause may have been initiated without informing the White House.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for U.S. president, meets with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower Sept. 27, 2024, in New York.  (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

«This decision was made to put America’s interests first,» said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly, referring to a Department of Defense review. Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell echoed that framing, calling it a «capability review» and adding, «We can’t give weapons to everybody in the world.»

Shortly afterward, Trump contradicted the pause by suggesting the U.S. would send Patriot missile interceptors and additional defensive aid to Ukraine. The Pentagon subsequently announced it would resume the shipments.

«We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to — they have to be able to defend themselves,» Trump said Monday evening.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he departs to travel to Texas to tour areas affected by deadly flash flooding from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., July 11, 2025. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)

Despite speaking with both Russian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin last week, Trump described his discussion with the Russian president as fruitless.

«We get a lot of bulls— thrown at us by Putin,» Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting. «He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.»

Pressed on who had authorized the pause in military aid, Trump appeared unsure. 

«I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?» he said Wednesday. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump told Zelenskyy he was not responsible for the decision.

US WILL ‘HAVE TO’ SEND WEAPONS TO UKRAINE, TRUMP SAYS DAYS AFTER PENTAGON PAUSE

On Thursday, when a reporter asked whether he’d figured out who ordered the halt, Trump replied, «Well, I haven’t thought about it. … I have, no I have not gone into it.»

Asked what it says that such a major decision could be made without his knowledge, he insisted, «I would know if a decision was made. I will know. I’ll be the first to know. In fact, most likely I’d give the order — but I haven’t done that yet.»

Trump ordered the Pentagon to send more munitions to Ukraine to use in Patriot missile defense systems.  (Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the significance of the pause, describing it as a «limited review» of specific munitions types, a common step after sustained operations in the Middle East and Europe.

«It was logical,» Rubio said, «especially after an extended engagement in defense of Israel and our own bases.»

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce also sought to reassure allies, saying, «The president has been obviously very passionate and determined regarding the ability of Ukraine to defend itself.»

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The administration’s current tone marks a stark shift from earlier this year, when tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy reached a boiling point during a contentious February Oval Office meeting.

«You have to be thankful. You don’t have the cards,» Trump reportedly told Zelenskyy, after calling him a «dictator» earlier that month.

Los bizcochos de manzana y canela son un clásico irresistible que combina la jugosidad de la fruta con el aroma reconfortante de la especia. Este tipo de preparaciones recuerda que lo simple, hecho con cariño, puede convertirse en el mejor plan para compartir en familia o sorprender a alguien especial.

Esta receta tiene raíces europeas, especialmente en la repostería tradicional de países como Alemania o Inglaterra, donde la manzana y la canela se combinan en tartas, strudels y bizcochos desde hace siglos. En Hispanoamérica, esta versión fue adoptada y adaptada, con toques personales que varían según la región. Es una receta tan versátil que se puede servir como desayuno, merienda o postre, acompañada de una bola de helado de vainilla o un poco de crema batida.

La preparación de estos bizcochos de manzana y canela comienza batiendo huevos con azúcar hasta obtener una mezcla esponjosa y clara. Luego se incorpora mantequilla derretida o aceite, la harina tamizada con polvo de hornear y canela molida, y finalmente se agregan los trozos de manzana fresca. La mezcla se distribuye en moldes individuales o en un molde grande, y se hornea hasta que la superficie esté dorada y la casa huela a pura calidez.

Estos bizcochos son esponjosos y húmedos gracias a la manzana rallada o en cubos pequeños, y se pueden personalizar con nueces, pasas o un toque de ralladura de limón para resaltar su frescura. Es una receta fácil, perfecta para principiantes, y se conserva bien durante varios días si se guarda en un recipiente hermético.

Para esta receta de bizcochos de manzana y canela rápida y fácil se necesitan aproximadamente 45 minutos en total. Este tiempo se distribuye en unos 15 minutos para preparar y mezclar los ingredientes, más unos 25-30 minutos de horneado, dependiendo del tamaño de los moldes y de la potencia de tu horno.

• 2 manzanas medianas, peladas y picadas en cubos pequeños
• 200 g de harina de trigo (1 ½ tazas aproximadamente)
• 2 huevos grandes
• 120 g de azúcar (½ taza)
• 80 ml de aceite vegetal o 100 g de mantequilla derretida
• 1 cucharadita de canela molida
• 1 cucharadita de polvo de hornear
• 1 pizca de sal
• 1 cucharadita de esencia de vainilla (opcional)
• Azúcar glas para decorar (opcional)

1. Precalienta el horno a 180 °C (moderado). Engrasa y enharina los moldes individuales o uno grande.
2. Pela las manzanas, retira el corazón y córtalas en cubos pequeños o ralla si prefieres una textura más homogénea.
3. En un bol grande, bate los huevos con el azúcar hasta que la mezcla esté clara y espumosa.
4. Agrega el aceite vegetal o la mantequilla derretida y mezcla bien.
5. Tamiza la harina junto con el polvo de hornear, la canela y la pizca de sal. Incorpora estos ingredientes secos a la mezcla de huevos en forma envolvente.
6. Añade la esencia de vainilla si lo deseas y por último incorpora los cubos de manzana.
7. Distribuye la mezcla en los moldes preparados, llenándolos hasta ¾ de su capacidad.
8. Hornea durante 25-30 minutos o hasta que al insertar un palillo, este salga limpio.
9. Retira del horno, deja enfriar sobre una rejilla y espolvorea con azúcar glas antes de servir si lo prefieres.

Con estos ingredientes obtendrás aproximadamente 8 a 10 bizcochos individuales, dependiendo del tamaño de los moldes, o un bizcocho grande de 8-10 porciones generosas.

Cada porción de estos bizcochos de manzana y canela contiene aproximadamente:

• Calorías: 220
• Grasas: 8 g
• Grasas saturadas: 2,5 g
• Carbohidratos: 33 g
• Azúcares: 18 g
• Proteínas: 4 g

Cabe señalar que estas son estimaciones, y los valores nutricionales precisos dependen de los ingredientes específicos utilizados en la preparación y las cantidades de cada porción.

Los bizcochos de manzana y canela se pueden conservar en un recipiente hermético a temperatura ambiente por hasta 3 días, o en la heladera por un máximo de 5 días. Se recomienda mantenerlos bien cubiertos para que no se resequen y mantengan su frescura.

Zohran Mamdani once said he didn’t believe calling the police was an appropriate response in cases of domestic violence.

Mamdani, the democratic socialist candidate who last month shocked the political world from coast to coast with his stunning victory in the New York City Democratic Party primary for mayor, made the comments in a 2020 podcast.

«If somebody is jaywalking, if somebody is surviving, going through domestic violence – there are so many different, different situations that would be far better handled by people trained to deal with those specific situations, as opposed to an individual with a gun,» Mamdani said.

The comments, which came five years ago in the «Immigrantly» podcast as he denounced New York City’s police department, were first reported by the conservative-leaning Washington Free Beacon.

MAMDANI BACKTRACKS AFTER ONCE CALLING TO ‘DISMANTLE’ THE POLICE

Since his victory over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates to secure the Democratic mayoral nomination, the 33-year-old Ugandan-born assemblyman from Queens has faced intense scrutiny over his past comments on policing.

Mamdani, who took a big step toward becoming the first Muslim mayor of the nation’s most populous city, ran in the Democratic primary on a platform that called for replacing police with «crisis responders» in «mental health» cases.

REPUBLICANS RELENTLESSLY USE MAMDANI AS SOCIALIST CUDGEL TO BASH DEMOCRATS 

But Mamdani campaign policy memos don’t define such cases, and it’s unclear if he would push, if elected, to prevent police from responding to reports of domestic violence. The New York Police Department (NYPD) responded to more than 100,000 domestic violence incidents in 2024.

Zohran Mamdani is surrounded by supporters after a press conference with union leaders in New York City, on July 2, 2025. (Reuters/David ‘Dee’ Delgado)

Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York has congratulated Mamdani on his primary victory and praised his laser focus on affordability on the campaign trail, but she has refrained, as of now, from endorsing him in November’s general election.

The governor, at a news conference on Friday, highlighted that the business community «is concerned about what will happen with the police department» if Mamdani becomes New York City’s next mayor.

«Everybody’s concerned what will happen to the policing of the city,» Hochul said.

TRUMP ARGUES NYC FACES DIRE CONSEQUENCES IF ‘COMMUNIST’ MAMDANI BECOMES MAYOR

In 2020, amid nationwide Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd, Mamdani publicly referred to the NYPD as «wicked and corrupt,» calling for its defunding and dismantlement. 

In one December 2020 viral tweet, he declared, «There is no negotiating with an institution this wicked & corrupt. Defund it. Dismantle it. End the cycle of violence.» 

He also linked LGBTQ+ liberation to police abolition, asserting in a November 2020 tweet, that «queer liberation means defund the police.»

Fraternal Order of Police National Vice President Joe Gamaldi told Fox News Digital this week that Mamdani’s past rhetoric is emblematic of a dangerously radical ideology.

«Anyone who still supports defunding the police is completely insane,» Gamaldi argued. «Especially after seeing the horrific consequences on our urban communities. It brought on rampant crime and disorder, historic murder rates in over a dozen cities and destroyed the quality of life for millions.»

Now, as Mamdani eyes the mayoralty, his public safety message appears to be shifting. He has backed away from some of his earlier rhetoric, acknowledging the importance of police in addressing violent crime. 

«I will not defund the police. I will work with the police because I believe the police have a critical role to play in creating public safety,» he said in the second New York City Democratic mayoral debate on June 13. «Sixty-five percent of crimes from the first quarter of this year are still not solved. We need to ensure that police can focus on those crimes, and [that] we have mental health professionals and social workers to address and tackle and resolve the mental health crisis and homelessness.»

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His current platform includes the creation of a Department of Community Safety to handle nonviolent incidents that he believes would get to the root cause of crime. Mamdani’s public safety plan includes reallocating $600 million from existing programs and raising taxes on wealthy New Yorkers to fund the new department.

He has also spoken about reducing police overtime and cutting the NYPD’s $80 million communications budget.