PM to speak with allies, amid reports Trump mulling Russian land grab in Ukraine
The Prime Minister, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will host the coalition of the willing on Sunday afternoon.
The video conference of allies who plan to keep the peace in Ukraine comes ahead of Volodymyr Zelensky's White House meeting with Donald Trump on Monday.
The one-on-one in the Oval Office could pave the way for a three-way meeting alongside Russian leader Mr Putin, the US President has said.
The Russian and American leaders met on Friday at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska, for a summit to broker an end to the war in Ukraine.
Several news outlets have cited sources which claimed that during the negotiations Mr Putin demanded full control of Donetsk and Luhansk – two occupied Ukrainian regions – as a condition for ending the war.
In exchange, he would give up other Ukrainian territories held by Russian troops.
Other outlets reported that Mr Trump is inclined to support the plan, and will speak to Mr Zelensky about it on Monday when they meet in the Oval Office.
Sir Keir commended Mr Trump's 'pursuit of an end to the killing' following a phone call with the US President, Mr Zelensky and Nato allies on Saturday morning.
But he insisted Ukraine's leader must not be excluded from future talks to broker a peace in Ukraine.
The Prime Minister and European leaders appeared increasingly confident that Mr Trump will offer a 'security guarantee' of air support to back up allied troops on the ground in Ukraine, should they be deployed to keep the peace.
But Mr Trump also appeared to have a change of heart on what he wants to achieve from the talks, indicating that he wants a permanent peace settlement rather than a ceasefire, echoing the sentiment of Mr Putin.
The Alaska summit was 'timely' and 'useful', Mr Putin said after he left.
Experts have warned the face-to-face summit has risked legitimising the Russian leader, who has been made a pariah by the international community for invading Ukraine.
Ukraine's President Mr Zelensky warned Russia may ramp up its strikes against his country in the coming days 'in order to create more favourable political circumstances for talks with global actors'.
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Reuters
19 minutes ago
- Reuters
European leaders to meet on Ukraine as Zelenskiy prepares to face Trump
LONDON/BERLIN, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The leaders of France, Germany and Britain will try to shore up Ukraine's position on Sunday as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy prepares to meet Donald Trump in Washington with the U.S. leader pressing Kyiv to accept a deal to end the war. President Trump is leaning on Ukraine to strike an agreement after meeting Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska where, according to sources, the Russian president offered to relinquish tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine in exchange for vast swathes elsewhere. At face value, some of Putin's demands would be hugely difficult for Ukraine to accept, setting the stage for potentially fraught talks about ending Europe's deadliest war in 80 years, which has killed or wounded more than 1 million people. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host a virtual meeting of the "coalition of the willing" - a grouping of allies of Kyiv - from 1300 GMT. European powers want to help set up a trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelenskiy to make sure Ukraine has a seat at the table to shape its future. They also want robust security guarantees for Ukraine with U.S. involvement, and the ability to crank up pressure on Moscow if needed. "They will spell out what they consider essential in terms of security guarantees: what they can do themselves, what falls to the coalition of volunteers, and also what they expect from the United States," a European government official said. "Indeed, they expect a very robust commitment." One or more of the European leaders could also accompany Zelenskiy when he flies to Washington on Monday for his meeting with Trump. Trump said on Saturday that Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not". After the Alaska summit with Putin, Trump phoned Zelenskiy and told him that the Kremlin chief had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014. Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies have called for. That was a reversal of his position before the summit, when he said he would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. Zelenskiy said Russia's unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace. "Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war," he said on X. Ukraine's air force said Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with 60 drones and one ballistic missile. It said it downed or jammed 40 of the drones. Zelenskiy's last Oval Office meeting, in February, went disastrously, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance giving the Ukrainian leader a strong public dressing-down. Merz said he did not think Zelenskiy would face as difficult a time this time around, adding that Zelenskiy would talk on Sunday to European leaders who would help him prepare for the meeting. "We'll give a few good pieces of advice," he told German broadcaster n-tv. Merz told ZDF that while it was important that Europe stand united, the U.S. would for the time being continue to play the decisive role in the war. "The American president has the power both militarily and via appropriate sanctions and tariffs to ensure that Russia moves more than it currently does," he said. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months. In his statement after the Alaska summit, Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv's desired membership in the NATO alliance. Mark Lyall Grant, Britain's national security adviser during part of Trump's first term, said the summit was a 'clear win' for Putin because Trump dropped his previous call for an immediate ceasefire. However, he added that it was positive that there appeared to be some willingness from the U.S. to be involved in offering some security guarantees for Ukraine. "That is absolutely critical because apart from the issues of land swaps, which is a very complicated issue, the most important longer-term issue is the security guarantees for what is left of Ukraine, so Putin doesn't do what he normally does, which is have a time to rearm and come back for more at a later stage," he told Reuters.
The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump claims Chinese president Xi made him a big promise about the fate of Taiwan
Donald Trump has claimed that Chinese president Xi Jinping promised not to invade Taiwan while he remains in the White House, as the US leader positions himself as a global dealmaker on some of the world's most volatile conflicts. Speaking en route to the Alaska summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday, Mr Trump told Fox News he 'appreciates' Mr Xi's patience. "I will tell you, you know, you have a very similar thing with President Xi of China and Taiwan, but I don't believe there's any way it's going to happen as long as I'm here. We'll see," Mr Trump said during an interview on Fox News' "Special Report' onboard Air Force One. "He told me, 'I will never do it as long as you're president.' President Xi told me that, and I said, 'Well, I appreciate that,' but he also said, 'But I am very patient, and China is very patient." Mr Trump said. The US and its allies have long sought to deter China from taking military action against Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own and has threatened to seize by force if necessary. Taiwan rejects China's sovereignty claim. The Chinese embassy in Washington on Friday described the topic of Taiwan as "the most important and sensitive issue" in China-US relations, without referring to Mr Trump's statement. "The US government should adhere to the one-China principle and the three US-China joint communique, handle Taiwan-related issues prudently, and earnestly safeguard China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement. Taiwan is yet to respond to Mr Trump's remarks. Mr Trump and Mr Xi held their first confirmed call under the US president's second presidential term in June. Later in April, Mr Trump said that the Chinese president had called him, but did not specify when that call took place. His comments on Taiwan come as he presses Russia and Ukraine towards a peace deal, repeating his campaign promise to end the war 'within 24 hours' of taking office. He has already claimed credit for easing or resolving several other disputes, including tensions between India and Pakistan in May, the Cambodia–Thailand border standoff in July, and flare-ups involving Congo and Rwanda, and Serbia and Kosovo. By citing Mr Xi's assurances alongside his push for a ceasefire in Ukraine, Mr Trump is seeking to cast himself as the central broker of peace in multiple global crises –a narrative he has openly linked to his pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize.
Reuters
21 minutes ago
- Reuters
Putin's offer, Kaepernick docuseries, Air Canada, Bolivia and screwworm
Follow on Apple or Spotify. Listen on the Reuters app. Read the episode transcript. An outline of Putin's peace offer to end his war in Ukraine has emerged, suggesting that Russia relinquish tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine and Kyiv cede swathes of its eastern land. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington Monday. Voters go to the polls in Bolivia with inflation top of mind and waning support for the left. The Canadian government moves to resolve Air Canada's cabin crew strike by pressing for binding arbitration. And why Texas ranchers fear the flesh-eating screwworm. Further Reading Outline emerges of Putin's offer to end his war in Ukraine Zelenskiy braces for perilous Trump talks in Washington on Monday Canadian government moves to end Air Canada strike, seeks binding arbitration, opens new tab In Texas cattle country, ranchers brace for flesh-eating screwworms Amy Berg on 'It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley' and capturing the man behind the myth
