Anti-Trump artwork appears on beach outside US President's luxury golf resort in Ayrshire

Starmer hails ‘real progress' made during White House summit on Ukraine war

Rhyl Journal

11 minutes ago

Rhyl Journal

Starmer hails ‘real progress' made during White House summit on Ukraine war

The Prime Minister was one of several European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, in attendance for the discussions in Washington on Monday. US President Donald Trump said he spoke directly with Vladimir Putin to begin planning a meeting between the Russian leader and Mr Zelensky, which will then be followed by a three-way meeting involving himself. He also said Moscow will 'accept' multinational efforts to guarantee Ukraine's security. Speaking after the event, Sir Keir described the talks as 'good and constructive', adding: 'There was a real sense of unity between the European leaders that were there, and president Trump and president Zelensky'. The Prime Minister highlighted 'two material outcomes' from the talks, firstly that the coalition of the willing 'will now work with the US' on security guarantees. 'That's really important for security in Ukraine, for security in Europe, and for security in the UK,' Sir Keir said. 'The other material outcome was the agreement that there will now be a bilateral agreement between president Putin and president Zelensky, that was after a phone call between president Trump and president Putin during the course of this afternoon, followed by a trilateral which will then add in president Trump. 'That is a recognition of the principle that on some of these issues, whether it's territory or the exchange of prisoners, or the very serious issue of the return of children, that is something where Ukraine must be at the table. 'These were the two outcomes that were the most important coming out of today. They're positive outcomes, there was a real sense of unity. We've made real progress today.' Posting on his Truth Social platform after the meeting, Mr Trump also described the talks as 'very good', adding: 'During the meeting we discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, which guarantees would be provided by the various European countries, with a coordination with the United States of America. 'Everyone is happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine. 'At the conclusion of the meetings, I called president Putin and began arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between president Putin and president Zelensky. 'After the meeting takes place, we will have a trilat which would be the two presidents plus myself.' Before the White House talks, the US president said he would 'probably' be able to find common ground with the leaders on a plan to ward off future attacks on Ukraine. He previously met with Mr Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, where he declared there was 'no deal until there's a deal' to end more than three years of fighting in eastern Europe. 'The Alaska summit reinforced my belief that while difficult, peace is within reach and I believe, in a very significant step, President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine,' Mr Trump said on Monday. 'And this is one of the key points that we need to consider.' He later said: 'We also need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory taken into consideration the current line of contact.' Mr Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, had suggested measures similar to Nato's article five mutual defence provision – that an attack on one member is an attack on the entire bloc – could be offered by the US without Kyiv joining the alliance. 'We were able to win the following concession: that the United States could offer article five-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in Nato,' Mr Witkoff told CNN over the weekend, as he spoke about the Alaska summit. Future three-way talks 'have a good chance' of stopping the conflict, the US president claimed. But the president appeared to share conflicting views on whether a ceasefire was necessary to stop the war. 'I don't think you need a ceasefire,' he had originally said, before later explaining that, 'all of us would obviously prefer an immediate ceasefire while we work on a lasting peace'. During the discussions, Sir Keir welcomed plans for a security guarantee, after Mr Trump introduced him at the negotiating table as a 'friend' on Monday. He said: 'Your indication of security guarantees, of some sort of article five-style guarantees, fits with what we've been doing with the coalition of the willing which we started some months ago, bringing countries together and showing that we were prepared to step up to the plate when it came to security. 'With you coming alongside, the US alongside, what we've already developed, I think we could take a really important step forward today – a historic step, actually, could come out of this meeting in terms of security for Ukraine and security in Europe.' Sir Keir also described potential future trilateral talks as appearing to be a 'sensible next step' and continued: 'So, thank you for being prepared to take that forward, because I think if we can ensure that that is the progress out of this meeting – both security guarantees and some sort of progress on (a) trilateral meeting of some sort to bring some of the difficult issues to a head – then I think today will be seen as a very important day in recent years.' The PA news agency understands the Prime Minister disrupted his holiday plans over the weekend to join calls, including with Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky, before he headed to Washington, as reported in The Times. Following the talks, Mr Trump said he also discussed 'the massive worldwide problem of missing children' with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Responding on X, Mr Zelensky said: 'This issue lies at the heart of the war's humanitarian tragedy – our children, broken families, the pain of separation. At least 20,000 children were taken. 'We are working tirelessly to bring every child home. The same applies for our prisoners of war and civilians held in Russia for years, some since 2014, in very bad conditions. Thousands of people still need to be freed – and this is a part of making peace. 'We will work to negotiate all-for-all prisoners of war exchange, and we are grateful to have strong friends who help.' Mr Zelensky, whom Mr Trump greeted at the door of the West Wing with a handshake earlier in the evening, wore a black shirt with buttons and a black blazer to the meeting at the White House. His attire had appeared to become a point of irritation for Mr Trump during a previous meeting in February. Early in the meeting, the Ukrainian described the talks as 'really good', saying they had been 'the best' so far. Mr Zelensky said: 'We are very happy with the president that all the leaders are here and security in Ukraine depends on the United States and on you and on those leaders who are with us in our hearts.'

Leader Live

11 minutes ago

Leader Live

Starmer hails ‘real progress' made during White House summit on Ukraine war

The Prime Minister was one of several European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, in attendance for the discussions in Washington on Monday. US President Donald Trump said he spoke directly with Vladimir Putin to begin planning a meeting between the Russian leader and Mr Zelensky, which will then be followed by a three-way meeting involving himself. He also said Moscow will 'accept' multinational efforts to guarantee Ukraine's security. Speaking after the event, Sir Keir described the talks as 'good and constructive', adding: 'There was a real sense of unity between the European leaders that were there, and president Trump and president Zelensky'. The Prime Minister highlighted 'two material outcomes' from the talks, firstly that the coalition of the willing 'will now work with the US' on security guarantees. 'That's really important for security in Ukraine, for security in Europe, and for security in the UK,' Sir Keir said. 'The other material outcome was the agreement that there will now be a bilateral agreement between president Putin and president Zelensky, that was after a phone call between president Trump and president Putin during the course of this afternoon, followed by a trilateral which will then add in president Trump. 'That is a recognition of the principle that on some of these issues, whether it's territory or the exchange of prisoners, or the very serious issue of the return of children, that is something where Ukraine must be at the table. 'These were the two outcomes that were the most important coming out of today. They're positive outcomes, there was a real sense of unity. We've made real progress today.' Posting on his Truth Social platform after the meeting, Mr Trump also described the talks as 'very good', adding: 'During the meeting we discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, which guarantees would be provided by the various European countries, with a coordination with the United States of America. 'Everyone is happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine. 'At the conclusion of the meetings, I called president Putin and began arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between president Putin and president Zelensky. 'After the meeting takes place, we will have a trilat which would be the two presidents plus myself.' Before the White House talks, the US president said he would 'probably' be able to find common ground with the leaders on a plan to ward off future attacks on Ukraine. He previously met with Mr Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, where he declared there was 'no deal until there's a deal' to end more than three years of fighting in eastern Europe. 'The Alaska summit reinforced my belief that while difficult, peace is within reach and I believe, in a very significant step, President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine,' Mr Trump said on Monday. 'And this is one of the key points that we need to consider.' He later said: 'We also need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory taken into consideration the current line of contact.' Mr Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, had suggested measures similar to Nato's article five mutual defence provision – that an attack on one member is an attack on the entire bloc – could be offered by the US without Kyiv joining the alliance. 'We were able to win the following concession: that the United States could offer article five-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in Nato,' Mr Witkoff told CNN over the weekend, as he spoke about the Alaska summit. Future three-way talks 'have a good chance' of stopping the conflict, the US president claimed. But the president appeared to share conflicting views on whether a ceasefire was necessary to stop the war. 'I don't think you need a ceasefire,' he had originally said, before later explaining that, 'all of us would obviously prefer an immediate ceasefire while we work on a lasting peace'. During the discussions, Sir Keir welcomed plans for a security guarantee, after Mr Trump introduced him at the negotiating table as a 'friend' on Monday. He said: 'Your indication of security guarantees, of some sort of article five-style guarantees, fits with what we've been doing with the coalition of the willing which we started some months ago, bringing countries together and showing that we were prepared to step up to the plate when it came to security. 'With you coming alongside, the US alongside, what we've already developed, I think we could take a really important step forward today – a historic step, actually, could come out of this meeting in terms of security for Ukraine and security in Europe.' Sir Keir also described potential future trilateral talks as appearing to be a 'sensible next step' and continued: 'So, thank you for being prepared to take that forward, because I think if we can ensure that that is the progress out of this meeting – both security guarantees and some sort of progress on (a) trilateral meeting of some sort to bring some of the difficult issues to a head – then I think today will be seen as a very important day in recent years.' The PA news agency understands the Prime Minister disrupted his holiday plans over the weekend to join calls, including with Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky, before he headed to Washington, as reported in The Times. Following the talks, Mr Trump said he also discussed 'the massive worldwide problem of missing children' with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Responding on X, Mr Zelensky said: 'This issue lies at the heart of the war's humanitarian tragedy – our children, broken families, the pain of separation. At least 20,000 children were taken. 'We are working tirelessly to bring every child home. The same applies for our prisoners of war and civilians held in Russia for years, some since 2014, in very bad conditions. Thousands of people still need to be freed – and this is a part of making peace. 'We will work to negotiate all-for-all prisoners of war exchange, and we are grateful to have strong friends who help.' Mr Zelensky, whom Mr Trump greeted at the door of the West Wing with a handshake earlier in the evening, wore a black shirt with buttons and a black blazer to the meeting at the White House. His attire had appeared to become a point of irritation for Mr Trump during a previous meeting in February. Early in the meeting, the Ukrainian described the talks as 'really good', saying they had been 'the best' so far. Mr Zelensky said: 'We are very happy with the president that all the leaders are here and security in Ukraine depends on the United States and on you and on those leaders who are with us in our hearts.'

Tuesday briefing: What last night's meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and Europe means for the war in Ukraine

The Guardian

12 minutes ago

The Guardian

Tuesday briefing: What last night's meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and Europe means for the war in Ukraine

Good morning. Last night, Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House flanked by a dream team of hastily assembled European heavyweights. Their aim: to coax Donald Trump out of pro-Russian positions he adopted after his Alaska meeting with Vladimir Putin last Friday. The meeting was a sign of both panic and resolve from Europe. The fact Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and more cleared their diaries at such short notice to fly to Washington is an indication of how alarmed they are by Trump's desire to move straight to a peace deal without a ceasefire – and his insistence that Zelenskyy give up Ukrainian territory. Progress was made on US security guarantees, and Trump and Zelenskyy have said they will both be holding face-to-face talks with Putin – although the Russian and Ukrainian leaders still appear worlds apart in their demands. Macron said he had 'serious doubts' about Putin's desire for peace. For this morning's newsletters, I had a chat with our senior international correspondent Luke Harding about the key points agreed in Washington last night, what it means for international diplomacy, and what is next for Ukraine. That's after the headlines. Tax | Rachel Reeves is considering replacing stamp duty with a new property tax that would apply to the sale of homes worth more than £500,000, the Guardian has been told. UK news | Exposure to pornography has increased since the introduction of UK rules to protect the public online, with children as young as six seeing it by accident, research by the children's commissioner for England has found. Conservatives | Leaked WhatsApp messages show Conservative MPs are worried that their party's 'piss-poor' messaging over asylum-seeker hotels is making the party look silly. It follows the release of an advert by Conservative campaign headquarters last week, making claims that have since been challenged as exaggerations, such as that asylum seekers receive free driving lessons and free PlayStation consoles. Bolivia | Bolivia's presidential election will go to a runoff, with two rightwing candidates seemingly the top runners. It's an unprecedented scenario after nearly two decades of leftist rule by the Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas). Environment | Relentless heat and disastrous wildfires continue to ravage southern Europe, with one-quarter of weather stations in Spain recording 40C temperatures and above, the latest in a series of disasters exacerbated by climate breakdown amid a continental rollback of green policies. The aim of this rare and sweeping show of diplomatic force was to safeguard Ukraine, and Europe more broadly, from any widening aggression from Moscow. It was probably also a reminder to Trump of Europe's combined importance as an economic giant compared with Russia's much smaller economy. The European delegation included leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and Nato. By arriving as a group they avoided another debacle like Zelenskyy's February visit to the Oval Office, where Trump and JD Vance chastised him as not showing enough gratitude for American military aid. Here is video of that meeting in case you'd like to remind yourself of the horrific blow-up that Trump thought was 'great television'. 'The meeting with Zelenskyy and Trump was significantly better than their pretty awful encounter in February of this year,' says Luke Harding. 'I think Zelenskyy was well prepared this time: he expressed gratitude to Trump on many occasions, handed a letter from his wife to Melania the first lady.' There was a fair amount of 'sucking up to Donald Trump', says Luke, and of European leaders not trying to offend him. Key European demands are that all decisions must be made with Ukraine present, and that a ceasefire is a pre-condition before further peace talks. They were looking to understand what security guarantees the US is willing to offer in the event of a settlement. Overall, the atmosphere was good, says Luke. 'Zelenskyy was even funny on occasions. When Brian Glenn – the reporter who mocked him for not wearing a suit in February – asked a question, Zelenskyy pointed out that Glenn was still wearing the same suit and Zelenskyy had changed his. So overall, the atmosphere was OK.' Did they get through to Trump? Rather than concessions from Ukraine, the summit focused on arranging security guarantees in the event of a peace deal. Trump said the guarantees 'would be provided by the various European countries [in] coordination with the United States of America'. The Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, described the development as 'a breakthrough'. Membership of Nato is not on the table, but the US and European leaders are discussing 'Article 5 kind of security guarantees for Ukraine', Rutte said. 'What is important is that Trump said the US would play a role in providing security to Ukraine in the event of a settlement. You might consider that to be progress, but we don't know what it means,' says Luke. 'As ever with Trump there is a huge gap between what he says and what he does. 'I suspect at the end of the day the White House will not want to do very much, but at least this was something tangible. The Kremlin appears to be quite annoyed – that is modest progress for Ukraine, depending on what the US is prepared to commit.' Trump is still saying there is no need for a ceasefire – because he says he has stopped a number of wars without one. There appears to have been less movement on this issue. 'The European position was that a ceasefire must come before any trilateral talks – that is common sense when Ukrainians are being killed every day,' says Luke. How did the meetings go for Zelenskyy? Like Europe, Zelenskyy wants a ceasefire before any peace deal and is unwilling to make any territorial concessions. Kyiv wants Nato-like security guarantees sufficient to deter Russia from attacking again. As a reminder, Russia took Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014 and launched a full invasion in 2022, attacking four Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia. Ahead of the meeting, Trump had pushed Ukraine to give up Crimea and abandon its goal of joining Nato – both key demands made by Putin. But Zelenskyy stressed he had been able to present a clearer picture of the battle lines to Trump, whom he met in a one-on-one in the Oval Office. 'This was the best of our meetings,' Zelenskyy said, according to a statement put out by his office. 'I was able to show many things, even on the map, to all American colleagues regarding the situation on the battlefield.' Luke says: 'On the substantive issue – which is how to get a peace deal – he correctly and deftly dodged a question on whether Ukraine was ready to swap land in return for peace.' This is Trump's preferred peace plan after his meeting with Putin in Alaska over the weekend. Speaking to reporters after the Washington talks, Zelenskyy said 'we had a truly warm, good and substantial conversation'. The next steps in the negotiations turn back to Putin, and the Ukrainian president said he was ready for what would be their first face-to-face since Moscow's invasion nearly three and a half years ago. 'I confirmed – and all European leaders supported me – that we are ready for a bilateral meeting with Putin.' What did Trump get out of the meeting? Trump previously bragged on numerous occasions that he could settle Russia's war in Ukraine in a day, but on Monday he said repeatedly that it was far more complicated than he ever thought it would be. Trump previously favoured Kyiv's proposal for an immediate ceasefire to conduct deeper peace talks. However, he reversed course after the summit and indicated support for Russia's approach of negotiating a comprehensive deal while fighting continues (for a reminder of how bad things are on the ground in Ukraine, take a look at yesterday's newsletter). After the Washington talks, Trump said on social media that he called Putin and began the arrangements for a meeting between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, at a location to be determined. 'This was a very good, early step for a war that has been going on for almost four years,' Trump said. Ukraine's president said he was ready to meet with Russia in 'any format' and that territorial issues were 'something we will leave between me and Putin'. What next for the war in Ukraine and peace negotiations? Much remains unresolved, including red lines that are incompatible – like whether Ukraine will cede any land to Russia, the future of Ukraine's army, and whether the country will ultimately have lasting and meaningful security guarantees. 'I think where it will go from here,' says Luke, 'is that when a deal fails to come together and Zelenskyy fails to give away his land, Trump will start blaming Zelenskyy again, saying he's the problem. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'Ultimately as things stand, there isn't really a meaningful way forward to a peace agreement. I mean Putin's demands are as maximalist as ever – he wants Ukraine to give up a large chunk in the east of the country, in the Donbas region.' Although this seems to be Trump's preferred route to ending the conflict, it is unlikely to work for Zelenskyy – were he to make this huge concession, Luke says, he would be swept away by popular protest. 'I think it's entirely possible that in the next month or so, the Americans will comprehensively exit from supporting Ukraine. Already they've stopped delivering weapons. I can see a pull-out from Trump,' says Luke. 'What I find so strange is the way Trump defends Putin, wants to include him, talks about calling him imminently, says he had a great meeting in Alaska. It seems ultimately that is where his sympathies lie – with Russia.' The New York Times describes 64-year-old Betsy Lerner as a TikTok star, for the following she's amassed since she started reading out diary entries that she wrote in her twenties. In a new start after 60, Lerner explains she doesn't see herself that way. But a generation of 20-year-olds who find solace in her entries today may disagree. Poppy Noor, deputy editor, newsletters This is the remarkable (and shocking) story of Windrush victim George Lee who has come back to the UK after 28 years of exile in Poland. 'I'm past the stage where I can feel angry,' he says. His observations of how life has changed in London during that period are depressing – notably people looking more stressed with 'tiredness etched on their faces'. Phoebe Nesrine Malik's tender piece about the dogged reporting of journalists in Gaza sheds a light on a potential reason so many have been killed: their commitment, professionalism and talent causes a real legitimacy problem for the Israeli government. 'What the Israeli government is trying to do with these killings is not just stop the stream of damning reports and footage, but annihilate the very image of Palestinians that these media professionals convey,' she says. Poppy A fascinating piece by John Harris on the future of outdoor work in the age of extreme heat, with alarming stories of people being forced to work in inhumane conditions. Particularly timely given the relentless heat currently barrelling its ways across Europe. Phoebe Perhaps we'd all like to be green-fingered influencers, working leisurely through our homegrown vegetables at the dinner table. But Nicola Slawson's piece on giving up her allotment after realising that's just not who she is will speak to the many of us who aren't. Poppy Football | Lukas Nmecha's 84th-minute penalty gave Leeds a 1-0 win over Everton on their return to the Premier League. Tennis | Carlos Alcaraz has won the Cincinnati Open for the first time in his career after his great rival, world No 1, Jannik Sinner was forced to retire from their highly anticipated final with illness while trailing 0-5 in the opening set. Tennis | Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu will face each other in the first round of the revamped US Open mixed doubles. 'Trump: no need for ceasefire to secure Ukraine peace deal' is the Guardian's takeaway from events in Washington. The Telegraph announces 'US military to protect Ukraine' while the Express has 'Trump: US will ensure any deal works' and the Times reports 'Trump offers 'very good' Kyiv security guarantee'. The Daily Mail assesses the meeting: 'It was electric with jeopardy, a chess match with live grenades' while the Mirror pessimises that it was a 'Stalemate' with Trump's peacemaking efforts unlikely to work. 'Trump's White House welcome: we can still do a deal with Putin' says the i paper. Give us your topline, Financial Times: 'Trump floats prospect of US security guarantee in bid to end Ukraine war'. Main story in the Metro is 'UK's 5,000 fake online pharmacies'. How far-right rhetoric on migration went mainstream Academic and author Dr Maya Goodfellow discusses how UK politicians have adopted far-right language on asylum and immigration. A bit of good news to remind you that the world's not all bad A new report shows just how impactful a raft of groundbreaking welfare policies by former Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador have been. Obrador's policies, which included a tripling of the minimum wage, and a system of cash transfers for vulnerable groups, made a measurable impact on the lives of millions of everyday Mexicans, according to a dispatch by reporter Oscar Lopez. When Obrador took office in 2018, there were nearly 52 million people living below the poverty line. Six years later, that number had dropped by 13.4 million, an unparalleled reduction of nearly 26%. There has never been a single six-year term in which poverty has been reduced or decreased so significantly,' said Viri Ríos, a public policy expert and director of Mexico Decoded. 'This is a watershed moment for the Mexican economy.' Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday And finally, the Guardian's puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply

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Starmer hails ‘real progress' made during White House summit on Ukraine war

Starmer hails ‘real progress' made during White House summit on Ukraine war

Tuesday briefing: What last night's meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and Europe means for the war in Ukraine

Anti-Trump artwork appears on beach outside US President's luxury golf resort in Ayrshire

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Starmer hails ‘real progress' made during White House summit on Ukraine war

Starmer hails ‘real progress' made during White House summit on Ukraine war

Tuesday briefing: What last night's meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and Europe means for the war in Ukraine

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