Trump weighs Chagos purchase, names Jerusalem patriarch as Russia-Ukraine mediator

US President Donald Trump confirmed the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem will mediate ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Trump weighs Chagos purchase, names Jerusalem patriarch as Russia-Ukraine mediator — US President Donald Trump confirmed in a White House meeting that the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, will serve as a liaison between Russia and Ukraine in ceasefire talks.[^1] The appointment follows reports that the Trump administration is considering a plan to purchase the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, including the strategically important Diego Garcia base, known as 'Bomber Island'.[^2] Meanwhile, Trump criticized Israel's strike on the Dahieh district in Beirut, stating that Washington was close to signing a deal with Iran.[^3] French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot threatened to impose additional sanctions on settlers, organizations, and companies linked to violence in Judea and Samaria within days, describing the steps as a "wake-up call" for the Israeli government.[^4] Barrot accused these entities of funding and supplying means to "expel Palestinians from their land, burn crops, and destroy public buildings." In a separate development, a Russian Shahed attack drone struck a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant last night, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described as a deliberate and 'particularly vicious' act.[^5] The Pentagon spent about $500,000 on an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile to destroy a hobby balloon launched by Boy Scouts in February 2023.[^6] Iranian Missiles and Beirut Strike: Israel Braces for Escalation — IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir told troops in Gaza that Israel will not abandon its goal of disarming Hamas, even as the military faces a multi-front escalation.[^1] On Sunday evening, Iran launched missiles toward Israel, prompting the Home Front Command to raise the alert level to orange.[^2] Hours earlier, the IDF struck a Hezbollah target in the Dahieh suburb of Beirut, ending weeks of restraint under U.S. pressure.[^3] A security official said the strike marks a new equation: "From now on, if they harm Israel - we will strike in Beirut. We have no limits."[^4] The IDF announced it is preparing for fire toward Israel in the coming hours.[^5] Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Neta