Trilateral U.S., U.K. and Ukrainian meeting weighs possible peace
Ukraine Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak and Ukraine Defense Secretary Rustem Umerov joined Lammy and Vance on Saturday to discuss matters in Ukraine and its defensive war with Russia.
"The U.K.'s support for Ukraine remains ironclad as we continue working toward a just and lasting peace," Lammy said Saturday in a post on X.
The meeting occurred at Lammy's official residence in Kent, England, where Vance is staying with his family through the weekend.
Yermak and Umerov were invited to join Lammy and Vance on short notice and ahead of Friday's scheduled summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also might join the meeting with Trump and Putin, but he has not been invited as of Saturday evening.
Officials from the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Italy and NATO also attended Saturday's meeting at Lammy's official residence, the BBC reported.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not join the meeting, but he talked with Zelensky by phone before it occurred.
Starmer and Zelensky agreed the meeting at Lammy's residence is an important prelude to Friday's scheduled summit in Alaska, Starmer's office said in a news release.
Zelensky afterward told Ukrainians Putin is the only one standing in the way of ending the war.
"His only card is the ability to kill, and he is trying to sell the cessation of killings at the highest possible price," Zelensky said during a national address.
He also dismissed the notion of a cease-fire instead of ending the war.
"What is needed is not a pause in the killings but a real, lasting peace," Zelensky said.
He said Trump supports an immediate cessation of hostilities and said the United States has the "leverage and determination" to make it happen via sanctions against Russia.
Putin "fears sanctions and is doing everything to bail on them," Zelensky said.
"He wants to exchange a pause in the war, in the killings, for the legalization of the occupation of our land," Zelensky told Ukrainians.
"We will not allow this second attempt to partition Ukraine."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
FTSE 100 LIVE: Markets muted as Zelensky to meet Starmer before Trump-Putin summit
The FTSE 100 (^FTSE) fell and European stocks moved cautiously higher on Thursday morning, gaining ground amid rising hopes of a potential ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war. UK prime minister Keir Starmer said this week there is a "viable chance" of an end to the conflict ahead of US president Donald Trump's meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump warned of "very severe consequences" if Putin does not agree to end the war in Ukraine. Trump spoke with European leaders on Wednesday. Starmer said that "any ceasefire would have to be lasting and to be lasting it would need security guarantees[...] That is why we set up this coalition of the willing." Markets in London were also reacting to the latest UK GDP figures, which showed that growth slowed in the second quarter — the latest data point evidencing the shaky ground the UK economy is standing on heading into the autumn budget. London stocks fell about 0.3% at the opening bell. Commodities stocks such as Rio Tinto (RIO.L) and Shell (SHEL.L) were among the top fallers in the index. The DAX (^GDAXI) in Germany ticked up 0.1% Paris's CAC 40 (^FCHI) rose 0.2% The pan-European STOXX 600 (^STOXX) gained around 0.1% ahead of the latest EU GDP reading. Admiral stock pops AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould, said: Bitcoin at record highs Yahoo Finance UK's Brian McGleenon writes: Bitcoin (BTC-USD) surged to a new all-time high above $123,500 (£90,984) in early Thursday trading, extending a week-long rally that has lifted the broader cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin briefly traded at $123,512 before easing back to around $121,700. The world's biggest cryptocurrency is now up more than 6% over the past week, breaking through its previous July peak of just over $120,000. 'Bitcoin's latest rally reflects the blurring lines between crypto and traditional assets, happening faster than institutional adoption timelines predicted,' VOOI CEO and co-founder Will K said. 'While ETFs brought institutions into bitcoin, retail traders are returning to evolved decentralised platforms that have shed their clunky origins.' Read more on Yahoo Finance UK UK industrial production figures outstrip expectations Here are the top line figures: Drop in rental listings spells price rises: RICS Yahoo Finance UK's Pedro Goncalves writes: The supply of new rental properties in the UK has fallen at its fastest rate in five years, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The latest survey reveals that 31% of surveyors saw a decline in new instructions from landlords, marking the weakest reading since April 2020. This sharp drop reflects a "firmly negative trend" in the number of rental properties coming onto the market. Despite this downturn in supply, tenant demand remained stable over the three months leading up to July. With fewer properties becoming available, rental prices are expected to continue rising. A net balance of 25% of survey participants anticipate higher rents in the coming months. In the sales market, new buyer inquiries also showed signs of weakening in July. A net balance of 6% of property professionals reported a decline in fresh inquiries from buyers, suggesting a softening in demand compared to June, when a net balance of 4% had observed an uptick. Read more on Yahoo Finance UK Investors bet on a slow in pace of ECB rate cuts: Reuters Reuters has a take on the cooling bets for further interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank. Here's what they said: Dow within striking distance of all-time highs as US rate cut priced in US stock futures slightly pared gains seen on Wednesday. Over the past few sessions there has been a bullish sentiment following the July Consumer Price Index (CPI) report. Though the data showed inflation had ticked up, it increased less than expected. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also on Wednesday called on the Fed to lower rates by 150 to 175 basis points. "I think we could go into a series of rate cuts here, starting with a 50 basis point rate cut in September," he told Bloomberg. The result has been a surge in bets that the Fed would cut interest rates at its September policy meeting, especially in light of recent warning signs the labor market is weakening. By Wednesday afternoon, traders had fully priced in a September cut, according to the CME Group, with bets also rising on a potential "jumbo" cut of 50 basis points. Weaker growth bad sign for consumers, say analysts Alice Haine, personal finance analyst at Bestinvest by Evelyn Partners, said: 'More to do', says Reeves Chancellor Rachel Reeves commented on the GDP figures: UK economic growth slows between April and June Pedro Goncalves was up bright and early covering UK GDP. Here's what he found: The UK economy's growth slowed between April and June, according to official figures, as US president Donald Trump's tariffs hit and businesses grappled with higher costs. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed growth in gross domestic product (GDP) slowed to 0.3% in the three months to the end of June, down from a rate of 0.7% in the first quarter. Economists polled by Reuters, as well as the Bank of England, had forecast 0.1% growth in GDP for the April-June period. Growth in the latest quarter was driven by increases of 0.4% in services and 1.2% in construction, while the production sector fell by 0.3% ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said: 'Growth slowed in the second quarter after a strong start to the year. The economy was weak across April and May, with some activity having been brought forward to February and March ahead of stamp duty and tariff changes, but then recovered strongly in June. Read more on Yahoo Finance UK Good morning! Hello again. Lucy Harley-McKeown here, ready for another day of rolling markets coverage for European hours. Two important things we'll be covering off today related to the UK economy: The latest GDP reading The RICS house price index Elsewhere, economic twitchers will be watching the UK industrial, manufacturing and construction output and EU GDP. There are first-half results rolling in from: Aviva (AV.L), Admiral (ADM.L), Antofagasta (ANTO.L) and Savills (SVS.L) In the US, Birkenstock (BIRK) is set to report results. Let's get to stock pops AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould, said: AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould, said: Bitcoin at record highs Yahoo Finance UK's Brian McGleenon writes: Bitcoin (BTC-USD) surged to a new all-time high above $123,500 (£90,984) in early Thursday trading, extending a week-long rally that has lifted the broader cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin briefly traded at $123,512 before easing back to around $121,700. The world's biggest cryptocurrency is now up more than 6% over the past week, breaking through its previous July peak of just over $120,000. 'Bitcoin's latest rally reflects the blurring lines between crypto and traditional assets, happening faster than institutional adoption timelines predicted,' VOOI CEO and co-founder Will K said. 'While ETFs brought institutions into bitcoin, retail traders are returning to evolved decentralised platforms that have shed their clunky origins.' Read more on Yahoo Finance UK Yahoo Finance UK's Brian McGleenon writes: Bitcoin (BTC-USD) surged to a new all-time high above $123,500 (£90,984) in early Thursday trading, extending a week-long rally that has lifted the broader cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin briefly traded at $123,512 before easing back to around $121,700. The world's biggest cryptocurrency is now up more than 6% over the past week, breaking through its previous July peak of just over $120,000. 'Bitcoin's latest rally reflects the blurring lines between crypto and traditional assets, happening faster than institutional adoption timelines predicted,' VOOI CEO and co-founder Will K said. 'While ETFs brought institutions into bitcoin, retail traders are returning to evolved decentralised platforms that have shed their clunky origins.' Read more on Yahoo Finance UK UK industrial production figures outstrip expectations Here are the top line figures: Here are the top line figures: Drop in rental listings spells price rises: RICS Yahoo Finance UK's Pedro Goncalves writes: The supply of new rental properties in the UK has fallen at its fastest rate in five years, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The latest survey reveals that 31% of surveyors saw a decline in new instructions from landlords, marking the weakest reading since April 2020. This sharp drop reflects a "firmly negative trend" in the number of rental properties coming onto the market. Despite this downturn in supply, tenant demand remained stable over the three months leading up to July. With fewer properties becoming available, rental prices are expected to continue rising. A net balance of 25% of survey participants anticipate higher rents in the coming months. In the sales market, new buyer inquiries also showed signs of weakening in July. A net balance of 6% of property professionals reported a decline in fresh inquiries from buyers, suggesting a softening in demand compared to June, when a net balance of 4% had observed an uptick. Read more on Yahoo Finance UK Yahoo Finance UK's Pedro Goncalves writes: The supply of new rental properties in the UK has fallen at its fastest rate in five years, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The latest survey reveals that 31% of surveyors saw a decline in new instructions from landlords, marking the weakest reading since April 2020. This sharp drop reflects a "firmly negative trend" in the number of rental properties coming onto the market. Despite this downturn in supply, tenant demand remained stable over the three months leading up to July. With fewer properties becoming available, rental prices are expected to continue rising. A net balance of 25% of survey participants anticipate higher rents in the coming months. In the sales market, new buyer inquiries also showed signs of weakening in July. A net balance of 6% of property professionals reported a decline in fresh inquiries from buyers, suggesting a softening in demand compared to June, when a net balance of 4% had observed an uptick. Read more on Yahoo Finance UK Investors bet on a slow in pace of ECB rate cuts: Reuters Reuters has a take on the cooling bets for further interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank. Here's what they said: Reuters has a take on the cooling bets for further interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank. Here's what they said: Dow within striking distance of all-time highs as US rate cut priced in US stock futures slightly pared gains seen on Wednesday. Over the past few sessions there has been a bullish sentiment following the July Consumer Price Index (CPI) report. Though the data showed inflation had ticked up, it increased less than expected. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also on Wednesday called on the Fed to lower rates by 150 to 175 basis points. "I think we could go into a series of rate cuts here, starting with a 50 basis point rate cut in September," he told Bloomberg. The result has been a surge in bets that the Fed would cut interest rates at its September policy meeting, especially in light of recent warning signs the labor market is weakening. By Wednesday afternoon, traders had fully priced in a September cut, according to the CME Group, with bets also rising on a potential "jumbo" cut of 50 basis points. US stock futures slightly pared gains seen on Wednesday. Over the past few sessions there has been a bullish sentiment following the July Consumer Price Index (CPI) report. Though the data showed inflation had ticked up, it increased less than expected. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also on Wednesday called on the Fed to lower rates by 150 to 175 basis points. "I think we could go into a series of rate cuts here, starting with a 50 basis point rate cut in September," he told Bloomberg. The result has been a surge in bets that the Fed would cut interest rates at its September policy meeting, especially in light of recent warning signs the labor market is weakening. By Wednesday afternoon, traders had fully priced in a September cut, according to the CME Group, with bets also rising on a potential "jumbo" cut of 50 basis points. Weaker growth bad sign for consumers, say analysts Alice Haine, personal finance analyst at Bestinvest by Evelyn Partners, said: Alice Haine, personal finance analyst at Bestinvest by Evelyn Partners, said: 'More to do', says Reeves Chancellor Rachel Reeves commented on the GDP figures: Chancellor Rachel Reeves commented on the GDP figures: UK economic growth slows between April and June Pedro Goncalves was up bright and early covering UK GDP. Here's what he found: The UK economy's growth slowed between April and June, according to official figures, as US president Donald Trump's tariffs hit and businesses grappled with higher costs. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed growth in gross domestic product (GDP) slowed to 0.3% in the three months to the end of June, down from a rate of 0.7% in the first quarter. Economists polled by Reuters, as well as the Bank of England, had forecast 0.1% growth in GDP for the April-June period. Growth in the latest quarter was driven by increases of 0.4% in services and 1.2% in construction, while the production sector fell by 0.3% ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said: 'Growth slowed in the second quarter after a strong start to the year. The economy was weak across April and May, with some activity having been brought forward to February and March ahead of stamp duty and tariff changes, but then recovered strongly in June. Read more on Yahoo Finance UK Pedro Goncalves was up bright and early covering UK GDP. Here's what he found: The UK economy's growth slowed between April and June, according to official figures, as US president Donald Trump's tariffs hit and businesses grappled with higher costs. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed growth in gross domestic product (GDP) slowed to 0.3% in the three months to the end of June, down from a rate of 0.7% in the first quarter. Economists polled by Reuters, as well as the Bank of England, had forecast 0.1% growth in GDP for the April-June period. Growth in the latest quarter was driven by increases of 0.4% in services and 1.2% in construction, while the production sector fell by 0.3% ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said: 'Growth slowed in the second quarter after a strong start to the year. The economy was weak across April and May, with some activity having been brought forward to February and March ahead of stamp duty and tariff changes, but then recovered strongly in June. Read more on Yahoo Finance UK Good morning! Hello again. Lucy Harley-McKeown here, ready for another day of rolling markets coverage for European hours. Two important things we'll be covering off today related to the UK economy: The latest GDP reading The RICS house price index Elsewhere, economic twitchers will be watching the UK industrial, manufacturing and construction output and EU GDP. There are first-half results rolling in from: Aviva (AV.L), Admiral (ADM.L), Antofagasta (ANTO.L) and Savills (SVS.L) In the US, Birkenstock (BIRK) is set to report results. Let's get to it. Hello again. Lucy Harley-McKeown here, ready for another day of rolling markets coverage for European hours. Two important things we'll be covering off today related to the UK economy: The latest GDP reading The RICS house price index Elsewhere, economic twitchers will be watching the UK industrial, manufacturing and construction output and EU GDP. There are first-half results rolling in from: Aviva (AV.L), Admiral (ADM.L), Antofagasta (ANTO.L) and Savills (SVS.L) In the US, Birkenstock (BIRK) is set to report results. Let's get to it. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Watch live: Starmer welcomes Zelensky to Downing Street ahead of Trump-Putin meeting
Watch live as Sir Keir Starmer welcomes Volodymyr Zelensky to 10 Downing Street on Thursday, 14 August, a day before Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are due to meet. The UK prime minister's meeting with the Ukrainian president comes after he vowed that Britain will 'increase pressure' on Russia if necessary. Meanwhile, the US president has threatened Russia with 'severe consequences' if Russia rejects a ceasefire. Sir Keir joined a call with the US president and European allies on Wednesday, praising Mr Trump for his efforts to advance a 'viable' chance of an end to the conflict. Concerns have been raised over the exclusion of Mr Zelensky in the meeting between Mr Trump and Putin; the Ukrainian leader has reiterated that there can be no talk of territorial concessions without his country's involvement. Mr Trump said that if his meeting with the Russian leader goes well, he would like to have a quick second meeting with Putin and Mr Zelensky. Mr Zelensky has warned Donald Trump and European leaders that Putin is 'bluffing' over his intentions to end the war. Sir Keir said ahead of the Friday meeting: 'As I've said personally to President Trump for the three-and-a-bit years this conflict has been going on, we haven't got anywhere near a prospect of actually a viable solution, a viable way of bringing it to a ceasefire. 'And now we do have that chance, because of the work that the president has put in.'
News24
21 minutes ago
- News24
Trump names Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor among Kennedy Center honorees
Donald Trump on Wednesday named Sylvester Stallone and disco diva Gloria Gaynor among the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors. This comes as the US president pursues a controversial overhaul of the storied arts venue. Since returning to office in January, the Republican leader has declared war on what he calls 'woke' viewpoints espoused in the nation's cultural institutions. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday named 'Rocky' star Sylvester Stallone and country music great George Strait among the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, as he pursues a controversial overhaul of the storied arts venue. Since returning to office in January, the Republican leader has declared war on what he calls 'woke' viewpoints espoused in the nation's cultural institutions, including a fresh probe of content at several Smithsonian museums. The Kennedy Center, a living monument to the late John F. Kennedy that opened in 1971, has long enjoyed bipartisan support but has been in the president's crosshairs, and he appointed himself board chairman in February. 'We have completely reversed the decline of this cherished national institution,' Trump told reporters at the stately white marble complex overlooking the Potomac River. 'We ended the woke political programming.' Also receiving the Kennedy Center Honors, one of the nation's highest arts awards for lifetime achievement, will be disco diva Gloria Gaynor, rock band KISS and British actor Michael Crawford, known for Broadway's Phantom of the Opera. AFP Trump announced that he himself would host the awards gala, which usually takes place in early December and is later broadcast on CBS. 'I did not insist, but I think it will be quite successful,' he said. He also joked that he wanted an honour himself but was 'never able to get one.' Rocky and the Phantom Stallone, who at 79 is the same age as Trump, is a three-time Oscar nominee: for best actor and screenplay for the 1976 classic boxing flick Rocky, and for best supporting actor, again in the Rocky Balboa role, in the 2015 follow-up Creed. Trump called Stallone a 'great actor.' He is also a major Trump supporter and one of the president's 'Hollywood ambassadors' along with Jon Voight and Mel Gibson. In November 2024, at a post-election event at Trump's Mar-a-Lago compound in Florida, Stallone called him 'the second George Washington.' Strait, 73, is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, with more than 120 million records sold. He is known for huge hits like All My Exes Live in Texas and Amarillo by Morning. 'He's a good-looking guy. Hope he still looks like that,' Trump quipped. James Devaney/GC Images Gaynor, 81, is the singer behind the monster disco anthem I Will Survive. KISS, formed in the 1970s in Trump's hometown, New York City, gained fame with its shock rock performances and outlandish black and white face paint. 'They work hard, and they're still working hard,' the US president said. Crawford, 83, made his mark on British television in the 1970s before achieving international success by originating the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Phantom of the Opera, thrilling audiences with his powerful tenor voice. 'I think he's one of the greatest talents I've ever actually seen,' Trump said Wednesday. In his first term, from 2017 to 2021, the Republican president skipped the Kennedy Center Honors gala because some of the artists receiving awards criticised him or said they would not attend in his presence. 'We're restoring the Kennedy Center' The Kennedy Center is home to the National Symphony Orchestra and also offers theatre, opera, comedy and other productions. Many artists associated with the centre, including opera singer Renée Fleming and musician Ben Folds, have cut ties with the institution since Trump took the reins. Others, including comedian Issa Rae, cancelled performances. The producers of smash hit historical musical Hamilton opted to cancel a scheduled 2026 run, citing the end of 'neutrality' at the centre. 'We're restoring the Kennedy Center as the premier venue for performing arts anywhere in the country, anywhere in the world,' Trump said. 'It was being run down; money wasn't being spent properly. They were building things they shouldn't have built that nobody wanted instead of taking care of the great gem that it is.' The Smithsonian Institution, which runs a vast network of museums, said it was reviewing a White House letter announcing a probe of content aimed at removing 'divisive or partisan narratives.' Among the museums targeted are the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the National Museum of the American Indian, the letter said.
