Trump says Zelensky can stop war with Russia ‘almost immediately' ahead of talks
The US president suggested Mr Zelensky would have to accept there was 'no getting back' Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, and Ukraine would not be allowed to join the Nato alliance.
Sir Keir and other European leaders will seek to persuade Mr Trump not to push for a settlement which rewards Vladimir Putin's aggression and to get US security guarantees for any military peacekeeping force from the so-called 'coalition of the willing'.
Those joining Sir Keir include France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Friedrich Merz, Italy's Giorgia Meloni and Alexander Stubb, president of Finland.
Nato chief Mark Rutte and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen are also attending.
In a message on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said President Zelensky 'can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight'.
He said there would be 'no going into Nato by Ukraine' – keeping its neighbour out of the alliance and its mutual defence pact has been one of Russia's key aims.
But Sir Keir, along with other Nato leaders, has said Ukraine is on an 'irreversible path' to membership of the alliance.
Government minister Stephen Kinnock said the 'pathway for Ukraine to Nato' could not be dictated by any other country.
The health minister told Times Radio: 'Any decisions taken about Ukrainian territory must be taken with the agreement of the Ukrainian government and President Zelensky.
'The other is that the pathway for Ukraine to Nato and to security guarantees cannot be dictated to them by any other country, and the other is to send a very clear message that we the British people stand firmly shoulder-to-shoulder with the Ukrainian people as we showed when we opened our homes and our hearts to the Ukrainian refugees.'
Mr Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff has suggested that measures similar to Nato's Article 5 mutual defence provision could be offered by the US without Kyiv joining the alliance.
Mr Witkoff, who took part in the talks between Mr Trump and Russian president Mr Putin last week, said it 'was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that' and called it 'game-changing'.
'We were able to win the following concession: That the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in Nato,' Mr Witkoff told CNN.
Mr Zelensky said any peace deal must be lasting 'not like it was years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our East – part of Donbas – and Putin simply used it as a springboard for a new attack'.
He said: 'Russia must end this war, which it itself started. And I hope that our joint strength with America, with our European friends, will force Russia into a real peace.'
At the White House, Mr Zelensky is expecting to face calls from the US president to concede to full Russian control of Donetsk and Luhansk, two mineral-rich regions of Ukraine that are mostly occupied by Vladimir Putin's forces.
In exchange for these demands, the Russian president would reportedly withdraw his forces from other areas of Ukraine and accept the Nato-like guarantee designed to prevent him launching further incursions.
Ahead of their Oval Office encounter, the allies are likely to be mindful of the previous occasion Mr Zelensky visited Mr Trump in the White House.
February's public spat, which saw Vice President JD Vance accuse Mr Zelensky of not being thankful enough to the US, resulted in American aid to Ukraine being temporarily halted.
Mr Trump will again host Mr Zelensky in the Oval Office before a separate meeting with the European leaders.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gavin Newsom is expertly trolling Fox News stars by mimicking Trump online — right down to the nicknames
Over the past week, Gavin Newsom's press office has been deliberately aping Donald Trump's over-the-top social media posting style in an obvious attempt to not only troll the president's most ardent defenders but also force them to come to grips with Trump's bullying and bombastic tone. The pitch-perfect parody, which comes as the California governor goes on the attack against Trump while clearly eying a run for president, has also resulted in a number of Fox News stars taking the bait – and seemingly making Newsom's point for him. 'DANA 'DING DONG' PERINO (NEVER HEARD OF HER UNTIL TODAY!) IS MELTING DOWN BECAUSE OF ME, GAVIN C. NEWSOM!' the governor's press office account tweeted on Tuesday. 'FOX HATES THAT I AM AMERICA'S MOST FAVORITE GOVERNOR ("RATINGS KING") SAVING AMERICA — WHILE TRUMP CAN'T EVEN CONQUER THE 'BIG' STAIRS ON AIR FORCE ONE ANYMORE!!! TRUMP HAS 'LOST HIS STEP' AND FOX IS LOSING IT BECAUSE WHEN I TYPE, AMERICA NOW WINS!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.' The all-caps screed, complete with a juvenile nickname and satirically signed 'GCN' to mimic Trump adding 'DJT' to his Truth Social posts, came after Fox News host Dana Perino groused Monday afternoon about Newsom's tweets while urging him to cut it out if he wanted to be taken seriously. 'You have to stop it with the Twitter thing,' Perino complained on The Five. 'I don't know where his wife is? If I were his wife I would say, 'You are making a fool of yourself, stop it!'' Noting that Newsom has presidential ambitions, she added: 'Do not let your staff tweet—and if you are doing it yourself, put the phone away and start over. He's got a big job as governor of California, but if he wants an even bigger job he has to be a little more serious.' Perino, however, wasn't the only one to fall into the trap set by Newsom and his social media team. Earlier this week, Tomi Lahren – a Fox News contributor who first shot to fame for her take-no-prisoners liberal-bashing monologues – objected to Newsom's press office mockingly referring to MAGA activist Scott Presler – who is openly gay – as GOP Rep. Nancy Mace. 'New lows unlocked by @GavinNewsom and his team of losers,' Lahren fumed on X, only for the governor's social team to throw back MAGA's favorite attack line back in her face. 'You sound woke,' the press office fired back. The governor's office used a similar tactic last week when Fox News host Raymond Arroyo expressed indignation that Newsom said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — who is confined to a wheelchair — had 'rolled over' after Trump called for Texas to redraw its congressional maps. 'We asked for a statement, and Newsom's office gave us something flippant like, 'You're so woke, he'll get over it,'' Arroyo grumbled before airing the press office's comment, which read: 'No. But how woke of you to ask! I'm sorry Greg's feelings were hurt. Poor guy — we hope he recovers.' Meanwhile, Fox News anchor Trace Gallagher was also apoplectic about Newsom's new approach, which has ramped up as he's taken the fight to Trump and Republicans over their mid-decade redistricting efforts ahead of next year's midterm elections. 'I don't know what he's trying to do, but it comes across as childish and – you are the governor of the biggest state in the union – what are you doing?!' Gallagher complained on Friday night. 'BIRD-BRAIN TREY GALLAGHER (A SO-CALLED FOX 'NEWS' HOST THAT NOBODY HAS EVER HEARD OF) SAYS MY POSTS ARE 'CHILDISH' AND 'UNBECOMING' OF A LEADER — CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? MANY ARE SAYING FOX ("EDIT THE TAPES") NEWS SHOULD CANCEL HIS PATHETIC LITTLE 'BEDTIME SHOW' IMMEDIATELY,' Newsom's team tweeted in response the following day. 'THEY ARE CALLING IT THE MOST BORING PROGRAM IN CABLE HISTORY. TOTAL SNOOZE FEST! SAD!!! — GCN.' Gallgher followed suit on Monday night by criticizing Newsom's 'new Trumpian style' of posting, claiming his tweet mocking the Fox News host was an attempt to be 'clever' before calling for the governor to stop obsessing about Trump. He then went on to name-check The Mamas and the Papas and The Beverly Hillbillies while urging Newsom to pay more attention to his state than his social media activity. Perino also couldn't help herself, jumping online to double and triple down on her on-air commentary about the governor's Trump mimicry – all while seeming blissfully unaware of the point of Newsom's parody of the president. Responding to Pod Save America co-host Jon Favreau sarcastically stating that Newsom 'should take a lesson from Donald Trump on this' before asking her what she thought about the president's social media habits, Perino tweeted that 'copying isn't a good look and it isn't working' while suggesting the governor come up with original content. 'I mean, it's pretty clearly a parody of Trump's absolutely insane all caps, often non-sensical posts. Probably why all the people in my life who aren't political junkies keep reaching out to say they don't know much about Newsom but think the tweets are hilarious,' Favreau replied. 'Humor and mockery can be quite effective!' 'Cool if it works and he's your 2028 nom, I will buy you dinner,' Perino reacted. As if to hammer home the point to Perino, Newsom's office responded to Perino's comments by gleefully posting: 'ALMOST A WEEK IN AND THEY STILL DON'T GET IT.' Indeed, the governor himself hasn't exactly been coy about what his intentions are in adopting the online persona of a full-time Trumpian troll. While the social media operation – which is operated by a multi-aide staff – has generated over a billion impressions across a variety of platforms, Newsom has said outright that anyone upset with his account's online insults and trollish behavior should turn their attention towards the White House. 'I'm just following his example,' Newsom said last week. 'If you have issues with what I'm putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns with what he's putting out as president.' He continued: 'To the extent it's gotten some attention, I'm pleased, but I think the deeper question is how have we allowed the normalization of his tweets, Truth Social posts over the course of the last many years, to go without similar scrutiny and notice?' As CNN's Andrew Kirell noted in Tuesday's edition of the Reliable Sources newsletter, Newsom is essentially punking the right-wing media ecosystem right now with this tactic. 'The effort, clearly designed to hold a mirror up to MAGA and 'bully the bullies,' so to speak, has evidently gone over the heads of many conservative media personalities, baiting them into making Newsom's point about Trump's behavior on their own,' he wrote. Meanwhile, after Perino once again revisited the subject during Tuesday's broadcast of The Five by insisting that 'we get the joke' but that 'it's just not funny,' Kirell asserted that this was precisely what the governor's social media operation was meant to expose. 'I'm fascinated by how they don't seem to understand that saying 'it's just not funny' is exactly the reaction his team is aiming for,' he posted on X. 'It's the whole point.' Pointing out that Gallagher and Perino seemed 'oblivious they were criticizing a parody of Trump himself,' Mediaite's Colby Hall explained that Newsom was 'shooting fish in a barrel' at this point. 'Newsom's feed isn't Trumpian—it's an X-ray of Trumpian excess, but as if it were delivered by the king of ironically detached comedy himself, Steve Martin,' Hall stated. 'Newsom didn't just enter the arena of schoolyard retorts; he grabbed the microphone, turned it upside down, and made the absurd impossible to ignore.' While others, such as The Bulwark's Sarah Longwell, have spelled out that Newsom is making MAGA 'uncomfortable because he's holding up a mirror to what you tolerate on behalf of partisanship,' Democrats are increasingly embracing the governor's approach because it shows his willingness to fight. 'That allows Newsom to step out in front and say he is the first one to stand against Texas's actions,' The Independent's Eric Garcia wrote last week, referencing the Texas redistricting battle. 'Specifically, the Texas Democrats who decamped to blue states said they would return to Texas because California would respond in kind if Texas passed their new maps.' He concluded: '2028 is a long way off and plenty could change. Other candidates might be able to prove Newsom is a paper tiger. But then again, plenty of Republicans waited for Trump to implode and he laid waste to them.'
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
China's extension of EU dairy import probe linked to September talks
China will not conclude its anti-dumping investigation into EU dairy imports until at least early next year as talks are set to continue in September. In response to China's decision this week to extend its probe to February, the European Dairy Association (EDA) said it was not surprised by the decision given Chinese officials are due to make 'technical visits' to Belgium and the Netherlands next month, as well as hold talks with the European Commission (EC). China kicked off its investigation in August last year to ascertain whether the EU was guilty of exporting dairy products to the Asian country at prices that put local producers at an unfair advantage. The probe followed similar enquiries launched by China for pork and brandy shipped from the European trading bloc that commenced in June and January of 2024, respectively. The trade spat with China was sparked by the EU threatening to impose tariffs on imports of Chinese battery electric vehicles (BEV), with the EC claiming 'unfair subsidisation' by its Chinese counterparts that risked 'causing a threat of economic injury' to local manufacturers. Xinhua, China's state-run news agency and official government mouthpiece, reported on Monday (18 August) that the Ministry of Commerce had extended its investigation into 'certain dairy products' from the EU to February The news service, citing a Ministry statement, said the extension was due to the 'complexity of the case'. Similar language emerged from the EDA. Its Secretary General Alexander Anton said in a statement: 'This highlights the increasingly complex dynamics of global dairy trade and has required coordinated responses from the industry and policymakers, and EDA will continue to work closely with the EU Commission and the 'sampled' dairies that are most involved in the process.' In October last year, China's Ministry of Commerce identified Dutch dairy giant FrieslandCampina, Elvir (France) Co. and Sterilgarda Alimenti in Italy as three EU companies that would be subject to a sampling exercise as part of its anti-dumping probe. Meanwhile, the EC took its case to the World Trade Organization (WTO) last September under a 'commitment to firmly defend the interests of the EU dairy industry and the Common Agricultural Policy against abusive proceedings'. Anton at the EDA said today (20 August) in the statement, when asked for comment and an update on those proceedings by Just Food: 'With that, for the very first time in such an early state of the procedure, the EU has given a clear political sign to step up to defend our European interest. 'WTO procedures are not known for speed and so far, we have no signs for any progress at this level.' Just Food has asked the EC for an update on the status of proceedings regarding China's probe into dairy and pork imports from the bloc, and whether there has been any progress with the WTO. When China kicked off its dairy import investigation last August, Xinhua said the probe was launched on behalf of the Dairy Association of China and the China Dairy Industry Association. The news agency suggested at the time that the review would include fresh cheese, curd and blue cheese from the EU. It was expected that the enquiry would conclude on 21 August of this year but could be extended for six months 'under special circumstances'. "China's extension of EU dairy import probe linked to September talks" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Chicago Tribune
12 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
NATO defense chiefs hold a virtual meeting on security guarantees for Ukraine
BRUSSELS — NATO defense chiefs were due to hold a virtual meeting Wednesday, a senior alliance official said, as Western countries pushing for an end to Russia's war on Ukraine devise possible future security guarantees for Kyiv that could help forge a peace agreement. Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, the chair of NATO's Military Committee, said that 32 defense chiefs from across the alliance would hold a video conference as a U.S.-led diplomatic push seeks to end the fighting. U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, will take part in the talks, Dragone said on social platform X. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov chided efforts to work on security arrangements in Ukraine without Moscow's involvement. 'We cannot agree with the fact that it is now proposed to resolve collective security issues without the Russian Federation. This will not work,' Lavrov said Wednesday, according to state news agency RIA Novosti. Russia will 'ensure (its) legitimate interests firmly and harshly,' Lavrov added at a news conference in Moscow with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi. U.S. President Donald Trump met last Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and on Monday hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and prominent European leaders at the White House. Neither meeting delivered concrete progress. Trump is trying to steer Putin and Zelenskyy toward a settlement more than three years after Russia invaded its neighbor, but there are major obstacles. They include Ukraine's demands for Western-backed military assurances to ensure Russia won't mount another invasion in the coming years. 'We need strong security guarantees to ensure a truly secure and lasting peace,' Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post Wednesday after Russian missile and drone strikes hit six regions of Ukraine overnight. Kyiv's European allies are looking to set up a force that could backstop any peace agreement, and a coalition of 30 countries, including European nations, Japan and Australia, has signed up to support the initiative. Military chiefs are figuring out how that security force might work. The role that the U.S. might play is unclear. Trump on Tuesday ruled out sending U.S. troops to help defend Ukraine against Russia. Russia has repeatedly said that it would not accept NATO troops in Ukraine. Attacks on civilian areas in Sumy and Odesa overnight into Wednesday injured 15 people, including a family with three small children, Ukrainian authorities said. Russian strikes also targeted ports and fuel and energy infrastructure, officials said. Zelenskyy said the strikes 'only confirm the need for pressure on Moscow, the need to introduce new sanctions and tariffs until diplomacy works to its full potential.' Trump said Monday he has begun arrangements for a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, although the Kremlin hasn't publicly confirmed such a possibility and no venue was suggested. Lavrov, in his Moscow press conference, said Russia is prepared to continue negotiations with Ukraine in any format. He said Putin proposed to Trump raising the level of representation in delegations that recently took part in largely fruitless direct talks in Istanbul. He added that 'a separate block (of talks) should be devoted to examining the political aspects of the settlement, along with the military and humanitarian ones.' Ukraine and Western leaders have accused Putin of dragging out peace negotiations in the hope of capturing more land before any settlement. French President Emmanuel Macron has said the summit could happen in Europe and proposed the Swiss city of Geneva. Switzerland has expressed its willingness to act as host. Putin's ability to travel abroad is limited because he is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on a warrant dating back to March 2023 for alleged involvement in the abduction of Ukrainian children. More than 100 countries are ICC signatories and have a legal obligation to arrest the Russian leader on their soil. Switzerland intends to ask the ICC to exempt it from sanctions in order to allow Putin in for a summit, according to a senior official in The Hague with direct knowledge of the request. The official was not authorized to speak about the proceedings and spoke on condition of anonymity.
