Zelensky thanks European allies for support ahead of Trump-Putin meeting
Mr Trump has said Friday's meeting in Alaska with his Russian counterpart was to discuss ending the more than three-year war.
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Mr Zelensky responded by thanking European allies and wrote on X on Sunday: 'The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people.'
The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people today for the sake of peace in Ukraine, which is defending the vital security interests of our European nations.
Ukraine values and fully supports the statement by President…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa)
August 10, 2025
Saturday's statement by top European leaders emphasising that peace cannot be achieved without Kyiv's involvement came after the White House confirmed the US president was willing to grant Mr Putin the one-on-one meeting Russia has long pushed for, and suggestions from Mr Trump that a peace deal could include 'some swapping of territories'.
This raised fears Kyiv may be pressured into giving up land or accepting other curbs on its sovereignty.
A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not allowed to speak publicly, told The Associated Press that Mr Trump remained open to a trilateral summit with both the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, but for now, he will have a bilateral meeting requested by Mr Putin.
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Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance on Saturday met top European and Ukrainian officials at the UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy's weekend residence to discuss how to end the war.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy welcomed JD Vance to Chevening House in Kent on Friday (Suzanne Plunkett/PA)
Mr Trump had earlier said he would meet Mr Putin even if the Russian leader would not meet with Mr Zelensky.
The Trump-Putin meeting may prove pivotal in a war that began when Russia invaded its western neighbour and has led to tens of thousands of deaths, although there is no guarantee it will stop the fighting since Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on their conditions for peace.
Saturday's statement, signed by the president of the European Union and leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Finland, stressed the need for a 'just and lasting peace' for Kyiv, including 'robust and credible' security guarantees.
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'Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,' the statement said.
'The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force,' the Europeans added.
A month-long US-led push to achieve a truce in Ukraine has so far proved fruitless, with Kyiv agreeing in principle while the Kremlin has held out for terms more to its liking.
Mr Trump had also moved up an ultimatum to impose additional sanctions on Russia and introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil if the Kremlin did not move toward a settlement. The deadline was Friday. The White House did not answer questions on Saturday about possible sanctions.
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The Kremlin earlier this week reiterated demands that Ukraine gives up territory, abandons its bid to join Nato, and accepts limits on its military, in exchange for a withdrawal of Russian troops from the rest of the country.
Mr Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukraine 'will not give Russia any awards for what it has done' and that 'Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier'.
Ukrainian officials previously told the AP privately that Kyiv would be amenable to a peace deal that would de facto recognise Ukraine's inability to regain lost territories militarily. But Mr Zelensky on Saturday insisted that formally ceding land was out of the question.
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The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump's Peace Prize envy is just the latest round in his obsession with one-upping Obama
Donald Trump's renewed efforts aimed at brokering a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia may in fact have their roots in Trump's most famous political grudge. As the president prepares for a summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska — potentially to be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as well — one of his former advisers sees a pattern emerging in Trump's second-term foreign policy agenda that indicates the US president is seriously pining for what he sees as the ultimate sign of global recognition and respect: a Nobel Peace Prize. But what John Bolton described to ABC's This Week on Sunday as Trump's latest fascination may have deeper psychological roots. And the biggest clue providing a glimpse into the president's psyche is the simultaneous focus of his entire national security team on Barack Obama, Trump's first-term predecessor and a figure many have argued propelled Trump's political ambitions through mockery and dismissal. 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On Friday, the president invited the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to the White House to sign a peace agreement. The deal is aimed at ending decades of conflict, but builds on a peace process moderated by Russia's Vladimir Putin and a previous agreement crafted by Russia that the two countries signed. Writing Thursday on Truth Social, Trump boasted of his role in reaching the agreement. The agreement between the two nations will create a major trade and transit corridor called the 'Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.' It will connect mainland Azerbaijan with the autonomous Nakhchivan region, satisfying a major objective of the Azerbaijani government in the peace talks between the countries. Meanwhile, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard and Attorney General Pam Bondi collaborate on an effort to reignite interest in 'Russiagate' and the 2016 investigation into the Trump campaign. 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As former RNC chair Michael Steele (the only Black chair in the Republican Party's history) wrote earlier this year in an op-ed for MSNBC: 'It's clear that Obama has been living in Trump's head rent-free for the last two decades. Some think he first ran for president because Obama made fun of him at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. He mistakenly called Biden by Obama's name multiple times while campaigning, once even saying he beat Obama in 2016.' 'Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize? Trump spends years obsessing about winning it himself,' Steele added. In March, Bolton saw the connection too. He told the New York Times that Trump 'saw that Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize and felt if Obama got it for not doing anything, why should he not get it?' The Times noted other instances where Trump has publicly and privately groused about not getting the award in spite of Obama's reception. 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Times
28 minutes ago
- Times
Vance tells Europe to step up in Ukraine, even though it lacks the strength
Europe needs to 'step up and take a bigger role' in funding Ukraine in its war against Russia, JD Vance, the US vice-president, said on Sunday. Speaking to Fox News, he claimed Americans were 'sick' of spending their tax dollars abroad and Washington was 'done funding' Kyiv. 'If you care so much about this conflict, you should be willing to play a more direct and a more substantial way in funding this war yourself,' he said. He spoke as European leaders again scrambled to build a united defence behind Ukraine, after President Trump suggested he may cut a deal with President Putin that could mean Ukraine has to concede territory. It is clear, however, that even if it remains unwavering in its diplomatic stance, Europe lacks the strength to back Kyiv in negotiating favourable terms in a future peace agreement or to enforce a ceasefire. 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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Alex Salmond's allies hit back at Nicola Sturgeon's claims he leaked details of sexual misconduct saga
Allies of Alex Salmond have hit back at Nicola Sturgeon 's claims he may have leaked details of his own sexual misconduct saga. The ex-SNP leader and Alba Party founder was cleared in 2020 of 13 sexual offence charges, including attempted rape, though his lawyer conceded during the trial that his client could have been a 'better man'. The latest extract from Sturgeon's soon-to-be published memoir, Frankly, centres around how Salmond reacted to multiple allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against him in 2018 - many of which made their way into the press. In the book Sturgeon denies any responsibility for the leaks and says that she does not know who was behind them. Controversially, she also claims in her memoir that it would have been 'classic Alex' to have made the leaks himself. Her remarks have caused fury among the Scottish political elite, with Kenny MacAskill - the man who succeeded Salmond as Alba Party leader - calling Sturgeon out for her 'hypocrisy'. Meanwhile, Chris McEleny, the party's former general secretary, branded Sturgeon's speculations a 'fabrication'. MacAskill, a former SNP minister who succeeded Salmond as Alba Party leader, recently called for a public inquiry into the way sexual misconduct complaints against Salmond were handled. In the book Sturgeon denies any responsibility for the leaks and says that she does not know who was behind them - but suggested it would have been 'classic Alex' for him to have He posted on X: 'It's one thing to be supposedly candid in your autobiography. 'Quite another to block openness and transparency when in office and by those you continue to support. 'This hypocrisy is yet another reason for an inquiry into the Scottish government's actions relating to Alex Salmond.' Alex Salmond served as first minister of Scotland from 2007 but stood down in 2014 after losing the Scottish independence referendum. Sturgeon took over the top job and in 2018 allegations against Salmond began to surface, following a review of the Scottish government's 'policies and processes for addressing inappropriate conduct' in the wake of the #metoo scandal. Salmond was accused of a string of sexual offences between June 2008 and November 2014, which ranged from him stroking a civil servant's hair to trying to rape a former Scottish Government official in Bute House. However, in March 2020 he was cleared of all charges, although his lawyer Alex Prentice KC famously said: 'If in some ways the former first minister had been a better man, I wouldn't be here, you wouldn't be here, none of us would be here. 'I'm not here to suggest he always behaved well or couldn't have been a better man on occasions. That would be a waste of my time. MacAskill, a former SNP minister, called Sturgeon out for her 'hypocrisy' after claiming she 'block[ed] openness and transparency when in office' The pair were once close, but Sturgeon now says that once she realised Salmond's 'thirst for revenge' was greater than the bond between them, she knew their friendship was over 'But I'm in a court of law and I'm dealing, not with whether he could have been a better man because he certainly could have been better. 'I'm dealing with whether or not it was established he was guilty of serious, sometimes very serious, criminal charges.' Additionally a judicial review in 2019 found that the Scottish government's investigation into Salmond's alleged misconduct was unfair, unlawful and biased. As a result Salmond received £500,000 in legal expenses. Chris McEleny, the Alba Party's former general secretary, who was himself expelled following an investigation into 'gross misconduct' earlier this year, called Sturgeon's remarks a 'fabrication'. He said the investigation into Salmond was a 'stitch-up' and claimed that a number of public bodies had 'conspired to jail Salmond'. He said: 'Alex Salmond delivered an SNP government, an SNP majority and an independence referendum whereas Nicola Sturgeon delivered nothing whatsoever for the national cause. 'Nicola might think she can fabricate her own version of the truth now that Alex is no longer here but the reality is her book will end up in a bargain basket whilst Alex Salmond will reside in the pages of the Scottish history books.' The story about the investigation of sexual misconduct claims against Salmond was broken by journalist David Clegg, then political editor of the Daily Record. Speaking on BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show, Mr Clegg, who is currently editor of The Courier, called the notion that Alex Salmond had leaked the story himself 'a conspiracy theory too far'. He said: 'But I think it shows the level of suspicion and the deep rift that had formed between Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon prior to his death.' Me Clegg said a document arrived at the Daily Record office with the claims against Salmond summarised - but described the idea that it came from Salmond as 'not credible'. He added: 'There is obviously some mystery and speculation about what went on seven years ago and how that happened. 'But if it was Alex Salmond who had leaked it, when I phoned him up that night to put the claims to him, he did an incredible acting job of seeming surprised and shocked. 'I have heard this from people close to Nicola Sturgeon before and it's always struck me as not credible and I would be very surprised if it was the case.' Salmond died of a heart attack in North Macedonia last October, aged 69 - but before his death he maintained there had been a 'conspiracy' between his accusers to bring him down. 'What he never did was show any contrition,' lamented Sturgeon, who added that she felt 'sick' over the allegations. In an extract published by The Sunday Times, the former First Minister added that 'ruthless' Salmond would have done anything to extricate himself from blame - even if it meant the downfall of his party. 'There was also never the merest hint of concern about the damage he did to the party he previously led. 'Indeed, it felt to me that he would have rather destroyed the SNP than see it succeed without him. 'He was prepared to traumatise, time and again, the women at the centre of it all.' Sturgeon said the notion his accusers had collaborated with one another to accuse him of misconduct was 'a fabrication, the invention of a man who wasn't prepared to reflect honestly on his own conduct'. She added: 'That he tried to distort and weaponise genuine expressions of shock, in some cases trauma, was truly disgraceful, and it strikes at the heart of why I find it so hard to forgive him.' Retired SNP politician Alex Neil said Sturgeon should issue a retraction after journalist David Clegg categorically denied that Alex Salmond had leaked the report on his own sexual misconduct accusations At the point of realising his 'thirst for revenge' was greater than the bond between them, Sturgeon said she knew their friendship was over for good and she went through a 'grieving process'. She wrote: 'For a time after we stopped speaking I would have conversations with him in my head about politics and the issues of the day. 'I had occasional, vivid dreams in which we were still on good terms. I would wake up from these feeling utterly bereft.' And even now after Salmond's passing, Sturgeon admitted his impact on her continues and she will 'never quite escape the shadow he casts, even in death'. Ms Sturgeon ruled Scottish politics for years before she walked away from Scotland's top job in March 2023 - shortly before her husband Peter Murrell was arrested in a police probe into the SNP's finances. She was arrested in June 2023 in relation to the Operation Branchform investigation into the SNP's finances. Sturgeon was subsequently released without charge pending further investigation, while Mr Murrell - formerly SNP chief executive - was eventually charged in relation to the alleged embezzlement of party funds.
