Trump and Putin ‘plan West Bank-style occupation of Ukraine' to secure truce – as Zelensky & Europe hold emergency talks
PEACE PLOT Trump and Putin 'plan West Bank-style occupation of Ukraine' to secure truce – as Zelensky & Europe hold emergency talks
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
RUSSIA and the US are considering a West Bank-style occupation of Ukraine to secure a truce, according to reports.
The superpowers have discussed using Israel's occupation of the West Bank as a model for ending the war in Ukraine, sources said.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
President Vladimir Putin welcomes US envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting
Credit: Reuters
2
Trump and Putin will sit down for what the White House calls a 'listening exercise'
Credit: Reuters
This would give Russia military and economic control of occupied Ukraine, which would run its own governing body, reports The Times.
The idea was first raised weeks ago in discussions between US envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterparts, a source close to the US national security council told the paper.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says European leaders and Zelensky had a "constructive" meeting with Trump about Ukraine.
Zelensky insisted there must be a meeting between all the three leaders of Ukraine, Russia and the US after he was snubbed from Trump and Putin's head-to-head on Friday.
He said hopes a ceasefire will be the main topic of discussion in Alaska - and Merz reassured that Trump will make that his "priority".
Ursula von der Leyden, European Commission President, said they had a "very good" call with Trump.
She said: "Today Europe, the US and NATO have strengthened the common ground for Ukraine.
"We will remain in close coordination. Nobody wants peace more than us, a just and lasting peace."
More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
4 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Do you have faith Donald Trump can end the war in Ukraine? Vote in our poll
Ahead of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin's crucial 'one-on-one' talks in Alaska tomorrow, we're asking Mirror readers if they think the US President can end the war in Ukraine - vote in our poll Donald Trump has warned Russian leader Vladimir Putin that he faces severe consequences if he walks away from the summit in Alaska on Friday without a stop to the war in Ukraine - and we want to hear your thoughts. It comes after Keir Starmer said yesterday there is a "viable" chance of reaching a ceasefire in the Ukraine war as a result of the US President's work. Following virtual calls with Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders, the PM said Britain stands ready to "increase pressure" on Russia if necessary. Briefing the Coalition of the Willing after the calls, Starmer said: "As I've said personally to President Trump, for three and a bit years this conflict has been going on and we haven't got anywhere near the 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." It comes after Putin warned of nuclear war after unleashing another night of hell on Ukraine. However, Kyiv believes Putin is bluffing about his willingness to end the bloodshed. In a joint briefing in Berlin with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Zelensky said: "I told the US president and all our European colleagues that Putin is bluffing. He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front. Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine." After the talks, Zelensky said Trump supports providing security guarantees for Ukraine if there is a peace agreement. He said: "There should be security guarantees. President Trump said that he supports this and about America's readiness to take part." The Ukrainian President said he hoped the primary focus of the Alaska talks would be an immediate ceasefire, with any discussions on territorial issues to be addressed at a meeting involving all three leaders. Trump warned there will be "very severe consequences" if Putin refuses to stop the killing. When pushed on what these consequences would be, he said: "I don't have to say." He added: "If I do not get the necessary answers during the meeting with Putin, there will be no next meeting." Get Donald Trump updates straight to your WhatsApp! As the world attempts to keep up with Trump's antics, the Mirror has launched its very own US Politics WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest news from across the pond. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Nato's Secretary-General, Mark Rutte, said after a separate call with Trump, Zelensky and European leaders: "We are united in pushing to end this terrible war. The ball is now in Putin's court." Despite the impending Trump-Putin showdown, Russia's military continued strikes on Ukraine last night. With just hours until the US and Russian leaders meet for crucial talks, we want to know if you think Trump can end the war in Ukraine? Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Israel's finance minister approves settlement to ‘bury the idea of a Palestinian state'
Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich approved plans overnight for a settlement that would split East Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank, a move his office said would bury the idea of a Palestinian state. It was not immediately clear if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed the plan to revive the long-frozen E1 scheme, which Palestinians and world powers have said would lop the West Bank in two and will likely draw international fury. In a statement headlined "Burying the idea of a Palestinian state," Smotrich's spokesperson said the minister would give a press conference later on Thursday about the plan to build 3,401 houses for Israeli settlers between an existing settlement in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Israel had frozen construction plans there since 2012 because of objections from the United States, European allies and other world powers who considered the project a threat to any future peace deal with the Palestinians. In Gaza On Wednesday Israeli gunfire killed at least 25 people seeking aid in Gaza, health officials and witnesses said, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again called for what he refers to as the voluntary migration of Palestinians from the war-ravaged territory. Witnesses and staff at Nasser and Awda hospitals, which received the bodies, said people were shot on their way to aid distribution sites or while awaiting convoys entering Gaza. Netanyahu wants to realise Donald Trump 's vision of relocating much of Gaza's population of over two million people through what he refers to as "voluntary migration" — and what critics have warned could be ethnic cleansing. "Give them the opportunity to leave! First, from combat zones, and also from the strip if they want," Netanyahu said in an interview aired Tuesday with Israeli TV station i24 to discuss the planned offensive in areas that include Gaza City, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people shelter. Ceasefire Efforts to revive ceasefire talks have resumed after apparently breaking down last month. Hamas and Egyptian officials met Wednesday in Cairo, according to Hamas official Taher al-Nounou. Israel has no plans to send its negotiating team to talks in Cairo, Netanyahu's office said. Israel's plans to widen its military offensive against Hamas to parts of Gaza it does not yet control have sparked condemnation at home and abroad, and could be intended to raise pressure on Hamas to reach a ceasefire. The militants still hold 50 hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war. Israel believes around 20 are still alive. Families fear a new offensive endangers them.
Daily Record
6 minutes ago
- Daily Record
BBC Breakfast viewers baffled and slam 'there's no need' after unusual moment in live broadcast
BBC Breakfast viewers were left scratching their heads as they watched business correspondent Ben Boulos report live from a wind farm in North Lincolnshire. BBC Breakfast viewers expressed the same issue as they tuned into Thursday's morning programme, stating: "There's no need". On Thursday August 14, Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty were seated on the red sofa to deliver the day's news. Reading the headlines from the UK and further afield, sports updates were provided by Mike Bushell in the studio, while Scots star Carol Kirkwood gave weather forecasts. In one segment, Charlie and Naga spoke with education correspondent Vanessa Clarke. Clarke was at a college in Middlesbrough where A-Level students were receiving their results. The programme also covered the situation in Ukraine ahead of the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. In another part of the show, business correspondent Ben Boulos broadcasted live from a wind farm in North Lincolnshire, discussing changes in the UK economy, as reported by the Mirror. "This isn't just any old wind farm, this is England's largest onshore wind farm," revealed Ben. He explained the visit to the site: "The reason we've come here is because the government hopes that renewable energy sites like this can power not just our homes and our workplaces, but also potentially power some economic growth as well." Ben then spoke with Sam Peacock, Managing Director of Corporate Affairs at SSE, and John McHale, Managing Director of ActionCOACH Lincolnshire, about the impact of wind farms. Later on in the show, Ben returned to the screen to present the latest business figures, revealing that the economy had grown by 0.3% in the second quarter of this year. However, BBC viewers were quick to express their confusion at Ben donning a hard hat and thick gloves in an empty field, with many remarking on the "strange" detail. "Why are they wearing hard hats in the middle of a field?" one viewer questioned on Twitter. "There is literally no need for all the ppe standing in a field ffs," another commented, while a third observed: "Hard hats and goggles on a wind farm? Ok." A fourth spectator remarked: "A hi viz and padded jacket? We have a heat wave," with another similarly noting: "Why are they wearing gloves stood in the middle of a field." Meanwhile earlier this week, weather icon Carol surprised her colleagues after revealing the roles she held before joining the BBC team. During Monday's show, Jon asked Carol about the jobs she had when she was younger to earn some extra money during the summer holidays. She replied: "Yes, I did. I worked as a housemaid, as a waitress, as a receptionist, all these things!". Humorously claiming she had done 'everything', Carol also shared that she had been a postwoman. Clearly surprised, Jon responded: "A post woman? ! You didn't used to predict the weather for your neighbours? That kind of thing?". She retorted: "No, but you know, you used to go in the mornings, you'd smell toast, bacon, sausages. Ooh, it'd make you hungry!".
