European leaders criticize the U.S.-EU trade deal
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Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lukashenko signals end to his authoritarian run in Belarus
After ruling the country for three decades, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko told Time in an interview that he would not seek another term. Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin's right hand in Europe, has been in power since 1994 and was sworn in for his seventh term in March. His opponents deemed the January election undemocratic, but Lukashenko rejects any claim that he is an authoritarian ruler. 'These days, of course, I'm far from being Soviet, but Soviet principles, the best ones, live inside me,' Lukashenko told Time. 'Why should I reject them? Just like the Americans do not reject their history, it's the same with me. That's why we have this friendship with Russia, the closest kind of cooperation.' Lukashenko has helped Russia conduct its war in Ukraine, heavily relies on Russia for its economy and is anti-European. 'Western Europe can get lost. Putin can disregard them. In this situation, if we reach a deal with the Americans, the Europeans won't have any way out of it,' he told Time. In 2022, Russian troops went through Belarusian territory to invade Ukraine. He also allowed his country to serve as a training ground for Russian troops, a storage locker for Russian ammunition and spoke with the Trump administration in favor of Putin. He also told the Times that his son Nikolai was not next in the line of the succession, amid rumors that he was preparing him to take over the country. In June 2023, Lukashenko presented himself as a peacemaker for helping to end an armed rebellion against Russian military generals led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the mercenary group Wagner. He proposed that Prigozhin take exile in Belarus rather than letting Putin take military action. He has also cracked down on a number of popular protests. The most notable was in 2020, after citizens and international groups denounced that the election was stolen. He jailed his political opponents and imprisoned 65,000 protesters. On Wednesday, he continued to conduct mass arrests of protesters who took part in anti-government rallies in the country and abroad. In February, the White House secured the release of three political prisoners, including an American citizen and a Belarusian journalist. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hong Kong police warrants ‘act of transnational repression'
Hong Kong police efforts to crack down on pro-democracy campaigners represent 'a clear act of transnational repression', a UK minister has warned. Eleven national governments and the European Union have signed a joint statement, vowing to bolster protection for people within their borders who face intimidation and harassment from administrations overseas. The Hong Kong Police Force last month issued 19 arrest warrants for campaigners who set up and joined the Hong Kong Parliament movement. The campaigners would like to see 'the reconstruction of a free, fair, and self-governing Hong Kong', according to the organisation's website. Police in Hong Kong have offered rewards of up to one million Hong Kong dollars (almost £100,000) to individuals who help track down the campaigners, including people who live outside of their jurisdiction. 'Together with our international partners, we condemn the Hong Kong police's efforts to coerce, intimidate and harass those living in the UK and overseas,' security minister Dan Jarvis wrote on X. 'We will not tolerate these acts of transnational repression in our country.' Referring to the joint statement which the UK has signed, as a member of the G7's rapid response mechanism (RRM), Foreign Office minister Catherine West said: 'The UK and partners have condemned the latest arrest warrants and bounties issued by the Hong Kong Police – a clear act of transnational repression.' The statement, also signed by the governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US, Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden, reads: 'The authorities issued arrest warrants and bounties on individuals outside Hong Kong's borders, including in G7 RRM countries, for exercising their freedom of expression. 'This form of transnational repression undermines national security, state sovereignty, human rights, and the safety of communities.' The signatories added: 'G7 RRM members and associate members are committed to strengthening our efforts to safeguard our sovereignty, to keep our communities safe, and to defend individuals from the overreach of governments trying to silence, intimidate, harass, harm or coerce them within our borders. 'We encourage individuals to report suspicious activities and any incidents of intimidation, harassment, coercion, or threats to their law enforcement authorities in accordance with domestic laws and regulations.' According to the Hong Kong Police Force, the organisation has a 'responsibility to pursue, in accordance with the law, persons suspected of committing offences under the Hong Kong National Security Law outside Hong Kong'. The Hong Kong Parliament group 'aims to subvert state power; its objectives include promoting self-determination, promulgating the so-called Hong Kong Constitution, and overthrowing or undermining the basic system of the People's Republic of China', so its members face arrest suspected of committing 'subversion' according to local laws, a police statement added. In a statement on the Hong Kong Parliament website, the organisation 'stands as both a representative voice and a protective institution for Hongkongers worldwide'. Its members 'are committed to safeguarding our community, defending the rule of law, and exposing the CCP's (Chinese Communist Party's) system of governance for what it is: authoritarianism masked as legitimacy'.
Axios
3 hours ago
- Axios
U.S., Ukraine and European allies plan to huddle in U.K. ahead of Trump-Putin summit
Senior officials from the U.S., Ukraine and several European countries plan to meet this weekend in the U.K. to try to reach common positions ahead of the planned meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, three sources with knowledge of the plans tell Axios. Why it matters: Ukraine and several NATO allies are privately concerned that Trump might agree to Putin's proposals for ending the war without taking their positions into consideration. The idea for an in-person meeting in the U.K. came up in a conference call on Friday between U.S., Ukrainian and European officials, the third such call in as many days. The logistics of the proposed meeting are still under discussion, including who will take part. Driving the news: The new momentum in Ukraine talks started earlier this week after White House envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow, just two days before Trump's ceasefire-or-sanctions ultimatum for Putin was due to expire. While Trump signed an executive order earlier this week that allows sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil, and also announced a planned tariff hike on India, he didn't announce new sanctions as planned on Friday. Behind the scenes: On Wednesday, Trump held a conference call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders to brief them on Witkoff's meeting with Putin. Two sources said Witkoff told the participants that Putin agreed to end the war if Ukraine agrees to cede its Luhansk and Donetsk regions, which Russian forces have mostly occupied since the invasion, as well as Crimea. According to the sources, at least some participants of the call came away with the impression Putin had agreed to give up his claim to two other Ukrainian territories that Russia partially controls: Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. That would have been a meaningful concession relative to previous Russian positions. However, when Witkoff held another video call with senior Ukrainian and European officials the next day, he said Putin had agreed to freeze Russia's current positions in those regions. That would leave significant parts of both under Russian occupation, including the strategic Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. During the latest conference call, on Friday, the parties discussed the possibility of meeting in-person to try to coordinate a joint position. "We focused on coordinating positions to bring a sustainable and just peace for Ukraine as soon as possible. We are ready to work as productively as possible to save lives and stop the fighting," Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak wrote on X after the call. Between the lines: Ukrainian officials say they're confused about the details of the Russian proposal, and about the U.S. position. A Ukrainian official told Axios that even if Zelensky agreed to Putin's demands, he would need to call a referendum because he can't cede territory under Ukraine's constitution. What's next: Trump said Friday that he will announce the date and location of his meeting with Putin soon, and claimed "we are getting very close" to a deal. He said the potential deal would include "some swapping of territories to the betterment of both countries" and stressed he is trying to get some of the territory Russia occupied during the war back to Ukraine. Trump said Zelensky is making arrangements that will allow him "to sign something" in a way the doesn't violate Ukrainian law. The White House has declined to comment about the ally meeting plans.
