logo
Ukraine's Zelenskyy to meet Trump on Monday

Ukraine's Zelenskyy to meet Trump on Monday

Arab Timesa day ago
KYIV, Ukraine, Aug 16, (AP): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that he plans to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington next week after Trump's summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin secured no agreement to end the war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy said he held a "long and substantive' conversation with Trump on Saturday after the US leader met Putin in Alaska.
He thanked Trump for an invitation to meet in person in Washington on Monday and said they would "discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war.' Zelenskyy reiterated the importance of involving Europe. "It is important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America," he said.
"We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine's security.' Zelenskyy said he spoke to Trump one-on-one and then in a call with other European leaders. In total the conversations lasted an hour and a half. Trump rolled out the red carpet for Putin in Alaska, but Friday's summit appeared to end without concrete progress on bringing an end to the war.
Trump said that "there's no deal until there's a deal,' after Putin claimed the two leaders had hammered out an "understanding' on Ukraine and warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress.' During an interview with Fox News Channel before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted that the onus going forward might be on Zelenskyy "to get it done,' but said there would also be some involvement from European nations.
Trump did not speak to reporters on his flight back to Washington. When his plane landed, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump was on the phone with NATO leaders after a lengthy call with Zelenskyy. Trump then disembarked Air Force One without speaking to reporters. He didn't respond to shouted questions about the phone calls as he climbed into his limousine.
Trump spoke with Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish President Karol Nawrocki, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European Commission spokesperson Arianna Podesta said. She gave no details of the conversation.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

European leaders to join Ukraine's Zelenskyy for meeting with Trump
European leaders to join Ukraine's Zelenskyy for meeting with Trump

Arab Times

time4 hours ago

  • Arab Times

European leaders to join Ukraine's Zelenskyy for meeting with Trump

KYIV, Ukraine, Aug 17, (AP): European and NATO leaders announced Sunday they will join President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington for talks with President Donald Trump on ending Russia's war in Ukraine, with the possibility of US security guarantees now on the negotiating table. Leaders from France, Britain and Germany are rallying around the Ukrainian leader after his exclusion from Trump's summit on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their pledge to be at Zelenskyy's side at the White House on Monday is an apparent effort to ensure the meeting goes better than the last one in February, when Trump berated Zelenskyy in a heated Oval Office encounter. "The Europeans are very afraid of the Oval Office scene being repeated and so they want to support Mr Zelenskyy to the hilt,' said retired French Gen. Dominique Trinquand, a former head of France's military mission at the United Nations. "It's a power struggle and a position of strength that might work with Trump,' he said. Special US envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday that Putin agreed at the meeting in Alaska with Trump to allow the US and European allies to offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO's collective defense mandate as part of an eventual deal to end the 3 1/2-year war. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at a news conference in Brussels with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that "we welcome President Trump's willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine. And the 'Coalition of the willing' -- including the European Union -- is ready to do its share.' Von der Leyen was joined Sunday by French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in saying they will take part in Monday's talks at the White House, as will secretary-general of the NATO military alliance, Mark Rutte. The European leaders' demonstration of support could help ease concerns in Kyiv and in other European capitals that Ukraine risks being railroaded into a peace deal that Trump says he wants to broker with Russia. Neil Melvin, director of international security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute, said European leaders are trying to "shape this fast-evolving agenda.' After the Alaska summit, the idea of a ceasefire appears all-but-abandoned, with the narrative shifting toward Putin's agenda of ensuring Ukraine does not join NATO or even the EU. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on NBC's "Meet the Press' on Sunday that a possible ceasefire is "not off the table' but that the best way to end the war would be through a "full peace deal.'

GCC Chief welcomes US, Russia meeting in Alaska
GCC Chief welcomes US, Russia meeting in Alaska

Kuwait News Agency

time8 hours ago

  • Kuwait News Agency

GCC Chief welcomes US, Russia meeting in Alaska

Politics LOC13:28 10:28 GMT RIYADH, Aug 17 (KUNA) -- The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassem Al-Budaiwi, welcomed the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday in Alaska. In a press statement, Al-Budaiwi praised the positive atmosphere that accompanied the Alaska summit, which emphasized that resolving disputes and crises comes through cooperation, constructive dialogue, and peaceful solutions. He affirmed the GCC countries' steadfast position, based on supporting peaceful dialogue to resolve regional and international issues, and strengthening and supporting all international efforts aimed at resolving the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, as the best way to enhance international peace and security. (end)

Meet the actor with Down syndrome who wants to run for president of Chile
Meet the actor with Down syndrome who wants to run for president of Chile

Arab Times

time9 hours ago

  • Arab Times

Meet the actor with Down syndrome who wants to run for president of Chile

SANTIAGO, Chile, Aug 17, (AP): Sebastián Solorza is already a familiar face to many Chileans, having starred in a popular Netflix series and won national acting awards. Now, the 43-year-old actor with Down syndrome wants to enter the race for president in Chile's national election this year. Solorza is racing against the clock to gather 35,000 signatures by Aug. 18, a requirement for him to run as an independent candidate. He positions himself as a "point of balance' between the far right and the far left - a fierce ideological battle that dominates Chile's political scene. "I listen with my heart,' Solorza told The Associated Press, adding that his condition allows him to offer a softer communication style. Should he enter the electoral race, his platform will focus on greater inclusion, improved healthcare and education, and enhanced security - a main concern of citizens who have been grappling with an unprecedented crisis of violence in recent years. Chile will choose its new president on Nov. 16, with the campaign so far defined by the mutual attacks between the two main contestants: The far-right José Antonio Kast, who lost to current leftist president Gabriel Boric in 2021, and Jeannette Jara, the ruling coalition's communist nominee. With three months remaining until the election, polls show Kast and Jara vying for the top two spots. This scenario suggests they would face each other in a second-round runoff on Dec. 14. Solorza argues that his candidacy offers a middle ground between political extremes, while working toward a "more inclusive country.' "I've spent my entire life breaking down prejudices, as an actor, as a worker, and as a citizen,' he said last month when announcing his plans to run as an independent candidate. "We all deserve the same opportunities.' The actor hopes his candidacy will give greater visibility to people with Down syndrome and other disabilities. While it's unlikely he will secure the necessary support to run for president - he has collected a little over 600 of the 35,000 signatures required - he sees his political foray as a success. Solorza keeps a tight schedule, balancing an acting career with a day job at a construction company. In his limited free time, he spends time visiting Congress, talking with members of the Parliament and meeting with constituents to promote his campaign. On the streets of Huechuraba, a quiet and green neighborhood in the northern part of Chile's capital, Solorza is often greeted by supporters, fans, and workers from restaurants and cafés where he is a regular. Always smiling, he walks slowly, making time for anyone who wants a photo or a brief chat. In Valparaíso - a coastal town about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Santiago - Chileans show up at the Parliament to express their support. "Good luck with the signatures,' one supporter said last week. "Let it be the people who ultimately decide our future.' Solorza's political aspirations open the door to "raise the voices of people with Down syndrome' and help to "demystify myths and prejudices still present in society,' said Carolina Gallardo, director of the Chilean nonprofit Down Up Foundation, which offers support and community for families raising children with Down syndrome. The attempt at a political debut is just the latest in a long line of barriers Solorza has overcome. He was born and raised in the 1980s, a time with far less knowledge about Down syndrome than today. His mother, Jenny Solorza, recalls his early years as "very dark,' because doctors never provided a clear diagnosis for their son, leading them to search for information on their own. "We wanted to do our best and always encouraged him with music," she said. As a result, "Sebastián has a very broad musical culture, and that's what he grew up with.' Solorza attended special schools where he developed his passion for the arts, fueled by music, rather than focusing on traditional academics. At 18, he received a scholarship to join a theater school and began performing regularly on stage and appearing in popular TV talk shows. He later rose to national fame for his leading role as Tomy in the Chilean thriller "Chromosome 21.' The series, which follows a detective trying to determine if a young man found at a murder scene is a witness or a suspect, ranked second on Netflix in Chile just two days after its release in 2022. The part earned Solorza the Best New Actor award at the 2023 Caleuche Awards, one of the most important ceremonies in the Chilean film industry. Despite social media criticism that he lacks preparedness and political experience to run for office, he insists he will not be deterred.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store