Trump's ‘bombshell offer to Putin for peace' revealed…but he warns of ‘severe consequences' if despot keeps up onslaught
But the US prez has warned that the Russians risk facing "very severe consequences" if they continue to bomb Ukraine and kill innocent civilians.
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Don, who hails himself as a great dealmaker, is said to be planning to present a money-making deal to lure sanctions-hit Putin into peace-making.
The deal will include opening up Alaska's natural resources to Moscow and lifting some of the American sanctions on Russia's aviation industry, The Telegraph revealed.
Trump is seemingly betting on Russia's current economy, which has been hit hard by global sanctions since he launched his illegal invasion of Ukraine.
It comes as Moscow and Washington are reportedly considering a West Bank-style occupation of Ukraine to secure a truce.
Under the sketched plans, Russia would have military and economic control of the occupied parts of Ukraine through a dedicated governing body, reports The Times.
Ukraine's official borders wouldn't budge, but the Kremlin would pull the strings in the regions it has swiped.
Witkoff apparently supported the plan, which the Americans believe offers a solution to the Ukrainian law which bans giving up land without a national referendum.
Trump yesterday warned there would be 'very severe consequences' if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire.
Yesterday, he spoke out after a video call with European leaders, including Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Trump & Putin's 1-on-1 meeting is a 'listening exercise', WH says as 'Vlad wants Ukraine to withdraw for ceasefire'
Zelensky said on August 12 that Putin may deploy thousands more troops to continue attacking Ukraine and grab more land.
Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy chief of Ukrainian intelligence (GUR), said that Russia plans to continue its onslaught
He said that Russia is ramping up long-range drone production to carry out future strikes deep inside Ukraine
Europe's political chiefs also vowed to hit tyrant Putin with more sanctions if talks fail.
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It all comes as Russia appears to be preparing to test its new nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered cruise missile, according to US researchers and a Western security source.
Satellite imagery shows an increase in personnel, military equipment, ships, as well as aircraft associated with earlier tests of the 9M730 Burevestnik.
Jeffrey Lewis of the California-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies and Decker Eveleth of the CNA research and analysis organisation carried out the research.
They said that new satellite images show extensive preparations at the Pankovo test site on Novaya Zemlya, a remote archipelago in the Barents Sea.
A Western security source confirmed that Russia is preparing a Burevestnik test.
Experts say the test could happen as soon as this week, which could overshadow the scheduled meeting between Trump and Putin.
Though they believe the test would have been scheduled long before the summit was announced.
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Sir Keir Starmer today welcomed Zelensky to Downing Street as Europe braces for Trump's face-to-face discussions with Putin.
The meeting comes aftr Sir Keir said Britain stands ready to "increase pressure" on Russia if necessary.
Yesterday, European leaders and Zelensky had a "constructive" chat with Trump, said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Zelensky said he pushed again for a meeting between all three leaders of Ukraine, Russia and the US after he was snubbed from Trump and Putin's head-to-head on Friday.
He said he hopes a ceasefire will be the main topic of discussion in Alaska - and Merz reassured that it would be.
The Ukrainian leader also slipped Trump a warning about his cunning Russian counterpart - and confirmed he would receive a call from the President after he bids Putin farewell.
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Drawing lines
Top diplomats from the US and Russia are currently working on an agreement to finalise post-war territories - but it may not be all good news for Kyiv.
Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his invasion were "unchanged".
One major sticking point for Moscow is the annexation of more Ukrainian territory - one of Putin's long-term demands.
These are some of the possible outcomes of a Ukraine ceasefire deal.
What Europe wants
Zelensky and European leaders are likely to reject any settlement proposals by the US that demand Ukraine give up further land.
They want to freeze the current frontline as it is - giving away the territory already being held by the Russians.
Zelensky has reiterated that Ukraine will not cede any further territory to Russia.
Putins price
Luhansk and Donetsk collectively make up the region of Donbas
Zelensky said that Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30 per cent of the Donetsk region that it controls as part of a ceasefire deal.
That's almost 3,500 square miles of land still under Kyiv's control.
And losing it will hand Putin almost the entirety of the Donbas - a region comprising Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland that Putin has long coveted.
Kyiv cedes
When the war began in 2022, Putin signed declarations annexing the entirety of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.
His troops never controlled Zaporizhzhia and were pushed out of Kherson by the Ukrainians in a daring counteroffensive.
Slave to one's habits, Putin may demand further territorial concessions from Ukraine and grab more land that it already occupies.
Don's proposal
Trump said that the only way to resolve the issues is for both sides to accept losses of land.
But he added that he would try to return the territory to Ukraine.
The Trump administration has said that it will not engage in any agreement on a final peace deal without Ukraine's formal involvement in the negotiations.
After Trump held a call with the European leaders yesterday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed that Trump reaffirmed that Trump would not negotiate territorial issues with Putin.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron will not be engaging in any "schemes for territory swaps" during the summit.
On the offensive
Russian forces launched a last-minute ground attack to grab as much Ukrainian territory as possible ahead of the peace talks with Donald Trump.
The lightning speed offensive saw Russian troops breaching through defence lines in eastern Ukraine in a dramatic two-pronged attack.
And it could give Putin an upper hand when he meets the US President for the historic peace summit on Friday.
But in the last few days, Russian sabotage and reconnaissance units pushed some six to 15 miles deep into Ukrainian territory near the town of Dobropillia in Donetsk.
The catastrophic breakthrough is set to help Moscow, which currently controls over 70 per cent of the highly-contested Donetsk region.
The catastrophic breakthrough is set to help Moscow, which currently controls over 70 per cent of the highly-contested Donetsk region.
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Russian forces surged towards three villages on a section of the frontline near Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
The location of the land grab near Dobropillia is of immense strategic importance to both Moscow and Kyiv.
If the Russian forces can defend the captured land and establish a secure foothold, they would be able to cut the city of Kramatorsk off from the Donbas region.
Kramatorsk is the most important fortress city in Donbas that is still under Kyiv's control.
And if it falls, it will hand Putin almost the entirety of the Donbas - a region comprising Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland that Putin has long coveted.
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The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
PM to speak with allies, amid reports Trump mulling Russian land grab in Ukraine
Sir Keir Starmer will meet European allies on Sunday, amid reports Donald Trump favours a Russian land grab in Ukraine to end the war. 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'.
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Sir Keir Starmer to meet with 'coalition of the willing' ahead of crunch Trump-Zelensky White House showdown as world leaders push for peace deal in Ukraine
Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet with Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz ahead of Zelensky and Trump's talks at the White House next week, as world leader push for a peace deal in Ukraine. The Prime Minister will hold talks with the European leaders in a meeting of the coalition of the willing on Sunday afternoon. A day later, on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet with Donald Trump in the Oval Office in Washington DC. 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. It comes as Ukraine's future as a sovereign nation hangs in the balance after the US President's meeting with Vladimir Putin yesterday, which left Kremlin delegates grinning. Critics have warned that other world leaders were powerless to prevent Zelensky from being caught 'with his head in a vice' by the American and Russian leaders when he visits Trump at the White House. Diplomatic sources said that Friday's summit in Alaska had paved the way for a deal in which Ukraine would be expected to surrender large swathes of the Donbas region in the east of the country, including areas currently controlled by Kyiv. Several news outlets have cited sources, which claimed Putin demanded full control of Donetsk and Luhansk, two occupied Ukrainian regions, and, in exchange he would give up other Ukrainian territories held by Russian troops. In return, president Zelensky would receive 'Nato-style' protection from Western countries for what remained of his territory. Elsewhere, the coalition of the willing, which is made up of over 30 nations, is prepared to deter Russian aggression by placing troops on the ground once the Ukraine war is over. The meeting, which is expected to take place at approximately 2pm UK time, comes on the heels of Mr Trump's summit in Alaska with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. And although Trump hoped to score a peace deal following talks at the military base in Anchorage, both he and Putin walked away without an agreement on how to bring the conflict to an end. In a press conference, Trump declared 'there's no deal until there's a deal', adding there were 'many, many points that we agreed on', however, they failed to yield an immediate result on one issue, he branded 'the most significant'. 'We didn't get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there,' he added, without divulging any specifics. There was no mention of a ceasefire from either Trump or Putin during the press conference which followed after their near three-hour meeting. Following the summit, the US president told Fox News it was now up to the Ukrainian to 'make a deal' to end the war. And while Sir Keir commended Trump's 'pursuit of an end to the killing' following a phone call with the US president, Zelensky and Nato allies on Saturday morning, he insisted the Ukrainian leader must not be excluded from future peace talks. 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. The Prime Minister welcomed 'the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal'. 'This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more,' he added. 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. Yesterday, President Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: 'The best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up. 'President Zelensky will be coming to [Washington] DC, the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with president Putin.' Writing on his Truth Social platform, the US president said: 'The best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere ceasefire agreement, which often times do not hold up.' Following the summit, Dr Neil Melvin, director of international security at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), said: 'Vladimir Putin came to the Alaska summit with the principal goal of stalling any pressure on Russia to end the war. 'He will consider the summit outcome as mission accomplished.' But, experts have warned the face-to-face summit has risked legitimising the Russian leader, after he has been made a pariah by the international community for years. Zelensky has also warned the Kremlin may ramp up airstrikes against Ukraine over the coming days in a bid 'to create more favourable political circumstances for talks with global actors'. Kyiv's troops are 'defending our positions along the entire front line', he added on social media site X. Mr Zelensky had earlier insisted a ceasefire must include an end to fighting on land, in the sea and the air, as well as the return of all prisoners of war and captured civilians, including children. Sanctions on Moscow 'should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war', Mr Zelensky added. However, last night, former British defence minister Tobias Ellwood told The Mail on Sunday that he feared Mr Zelensky was walking into a trap in the White House. He said: 'He will be asked to put his head in a vice, with Vladimir Putin pushing from one side and Donald Trump from the other. 'The Ukrainian president will be presented with a 'take it or leave it' deal: surrender territory to Russia or face the blame for wrecking peace. 'And if Mr Zelensky refuses, Trump will walk away, declaring that America is done with the talks. 'It's the classic gangster deal – one you can't refuse. Except he must.' Mr Johnson, writing in today's MoS, describes the summit as 'the most vomit-inducing episode in all the tawdry history of international diplomacy'. He says: 'Imagine how it felt to be one of those embattled heroes in a dug-out near Pokrovsk, fighting for your country's freedom, and to hear the President of the United States – the ex officio team captain of the Free World – refer to Vladimir Putin as 'the boss'. Retch. 'Think of the tens of thousands of Ukrainian widows and orphans. 'Think of the maimed and mutilated; think of the Ukrainian civilians living in daily and nightly terror of Putin's bombs and missiles still raining down, even though the so-called negotiations were taking place in Alaska.' But he adds: 'Like so many of the most objectionable pieces of historic diplomacy, that meeting was also, of course, justifiable and even essential. 'Puke-making though it was, Trump was right to try. He was right to meet Putin, because if millions of Ukrainians were watching with horror at the red-carpet rehabilitation of the Russian tyrant, they were also watching with hope... One day this war will end with a peace that protects Ukrainian freedom; but as Trump said in Alaska, the Europeans – led by Britain – will have to step up.' The proposed deal was greeted with dismay in Ukraine. Volodymyr Dubovyk, a professor of international relations in Odesa, described it as 'a nothing-burger with a sour aftertaste'. He said: 'As a Ukrainian, it was pretty disgusting to see what was going on, all this red carpet, all this clapping and smiles and being chummy.' Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, a long-time ally of Trump, said of the US President: 'At least he is trying to find peace.' But former Tory defence secretary Ben Wallace hit out at the 1980's-style 'pantomime' of the summit between the two leaders. He said: 'Putin got what he wanted and I think President Trump got a trip to Alaska.'
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29 minutes ago
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People need to eat, so I'm investing in food
Amid extreme uncertainty and anxiety about trade wars and violent conflicts, food is one of the few certainties for investors. Whatever comes of President Trump's attempt to broker peace in Ukraine, people will still need to eat. But even such dependable demand does not explain why, when one of the world's biggest agricultural commodities groups issued a profits warning, its share price surged 6 per cent higher that day. The explanation is rooted in one of the most widely used but rarely discussed forms of renewable power, bio-fuels, and illustrates stark differences between the way that America and Britain treat farmers and other businesses. You might never have heard of Archer Daniels Midland (stock market ticker: ADM) but you have almost certainly eaten some of the corn, soybeans and wheat this $28 billion (£21 billion) giant trades around the globe. 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Sad to say, doubts continue to cloud this business and last November it was announced that the compliance chief would follow the finance chief out of the door. Then there were calls for the chief executive to resign. Such drama seems to have traumatised some of the staff because ADM's media team couldn't answer a simple question about how many years it has increased dividends; I know because I asked them repeatedly over several days for the purpose of this column. So here's a handy hint for any shareholder struggling to get information out of a company; email the chairman or chief executive. I usually apologise for bothering the top dog, explain I have had no luck with their staff and ask — as a small stakeholder in the business — if they might be able to help. Within two hours, ADM emailed from across the Atlantic and said it had increased its dividends for 53 consecutive years — although on this occasion perhaps a media email address helped the swift turnaround. It is important to be aware that the past is not necessarily a guide to the future and dividends can be cut or cancelled without notice. Even so, this long history of paying investors to be patient and the current yield of 3.5 per cent do offer reasons to be cheerful in fearful times. Better still, LSEG — formerly London Stock Exchange Group — reports that ADM has increased its dividends by an annual average of 7.4 per cent over the last five years. If that rate of ascent could be sustained, it would double shareholders' income in less than a decade. Most immediately, when it warned earlier this month that full-year earnings were likely to be nearer $4 per share than the $4.75 previously forecast, its price surprisingly surged higher to trade at about $59 on Friday. 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Paul Kenward, the chief executive of ABF Sugar, said: 'We have written to ministers multiple times, making it clear that Monday, 18 August, is our final deadline and workers will start leaving from this date. 'What worries me most is key people in government being on holiday at the wrong time. We must not lose this sovereign refining capability because of summertime annual leave.' Politics is beyond the remit of this column, thank God, so I will merely return to where we began with why I am glad to own ADM shares for income, even though they are unlikely to shoot the lights out with capital growth. Food will never go out of fashion; especially now it can also be used for renewable energy biofuels. • Can you beat Trump's tariffs? Play our stock trading game Passive aggressive types argue that investors should 'just stick it all in a tracker fund'. But I am very much in the camp of the active investor and advocate taking an interest in what happens to our money when picking funds and shares. Most unit or investment trust managers, and most companies listed on the stock market, publish information freely online that could only be found in business libraries when I began investing. Many companies' and funds' websites also include the ability to input your email address to automatically get news updates on much the same basis as the big investment institutions. To be specific, this feature is offered by the tractor-maker, Deere and the burger-flipper, McDonald's, my two most valuable shareholdings; as well as Ecofin Global Utilities and Infrastructure, my most valuable investment trust shareholding, among others. Income-seekers can keep track of the date and value of our next payment via free websites including DividendMax and MarketBeat. Trade association websites and online investment platforms also provide valuable information with live data. The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) recently campaigned successfully for platforms to provide individual investors with the right to vote. No wonder the AIC chairman, Richard Stone, hailed 'a new era for shareholder rights'. The internet has disrupted the exclusive access that institutional investors used to enjoy with masses of information that is now freely available to individual investors. But we still need to find the time to read it. • Full disclosure: Ian Cowie's shareholdings
