
Lammy and Vance host national security advisers ahead of Trump-Putin summit
It is understood the meeting was arranged at the request of the US and will be co-hosted by American vice-president JD Vance, who is staying in Kent at Chevening at the start of his UK holiday.
It comes after Mr Trump announced that he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15 to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
David Lammy and JD Vance will host the meeting at Chevening, in Kent, where the US Vice-President is visiting the Foreign Secretary at the start of his UK holiday (Suzanne Plunkett/PA)
The US president had earlier suggested that any peace deal was likely to involve 'some swapping of territories', with reports suggesting this could involve Ukraine giving up its Donetsk region.
He had previously threatened to impose more stringent tariffs on Russia if Mr Putin did not agree to a ceasefire by Friday.
But Mr Zelensky has already rejected any proposal that would compromise Ukraine's territorial integrity, saying Kyiv 'will not give Russia any awards for what it has done' and that 'Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier'.
Donald Trump has said he will meet Vladimir Putin on August 15 to discuss a possible peace deal (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
Ukraine's constitution forbids giving away territory.
Mr Zelensky also warned that any peace agreement that excluded Ukraine would lead to 'dead solutions'.
Ahead of the meeting at Chevening, Sir Keir Starmer discussed the talks in a call with Mr Zelensky on Saturday morning.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: 'Both leaders welcomed President Trump's desire to bring this barbaric war to an end and agreed that we must keep up the pressure on Putin to end his illegal war.
'The Prime Minister ended the call by reiterating his unwavering support for Ukraine and its people.'
Mr Lammy held formal talks with Mr Vance at Chevening on Friday, during which they were expected to discuss the war in Ukraine.

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Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
At least 26 killed seeking aid in Gaza as Netanyahu faces growing criticism
Mr Netanyahu is scheduled to give a press conference for foreign and local media later on Sunday amid international condemnation of his plans. His address will come just before the United Nations Security Council holds an emergency meeting on Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City. Hospital officials said they received bodies from areas where Palestinians were seeking aid, either along food convoy routes or near privately run aid distribution points across Gaza. Humanitarian aid is airdropped to Palestinians over Gaza City (Jehad Alshrafi/AP) The dead include 10 who were killed while waiting for aid trucks close to the newly built Morag corridor which separates the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, said Nasser hospital. A further six people were killed while waiting for aid in northern Gaza near the Zikim crossing, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and the Shifa hospital in Gaza City which received the casualties. 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Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday night in what local media called one of the largest anti-government protests in recent months. The families and their supporters hope to pressure the government to reverse its decision to take over Gaza City, warning that expanding the war will endanger their loved ones. Of the 251 people abducted when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7 2023, killing about 1,200, around 50 remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive. Lishay Miran-Lavi, whose husband Omri is among the hostages, also appealed to US President Donald Trump and special envoy Steve Witkoff to halt the war. 'The decision to send the army deeper into Gaza is a danger to my husband, Omri. But we can still stop this disaster,' she said. Also on Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz toured the northern part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He said Israel's military would remain in the area's refugee camps at least until the end of the year. Approximately 40,000 Palestinians have been driven from their homes this year in the West Bank's largest displacement since Israel captured the territory in 1967. Israel says the operations are needed to stamp out militancy, as violence by all sides has surged since Hamas's 2023 attack ignited war in Gaza. Mr Katz on Sunday said the number of warnings about attacks against Israelis in the West Bank had decreased by 80% since the operation began in January.


Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
At least 26 killed seeking aid in Gaza as Netanyahu faces growing criticism
Mr Netanyahu is scheduled to give a press conference for foreign and local media later on Sunday amid international condemnation of his plans. His address will come just before the United Nations Security Council holds an emergency meeting on Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City. Hospital officials said they received bodies from areas where Palestinians were seeking aid, either along food convoy routes or near privately run aid distribution points across Gaza. Humanitarian aid is airdropped to Palestinians over Gaza City (Jehad Alshrafi/AP) The dead include 10 who were killed while waiting for aid trucks close to the newly built Morag corridor which separates the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, said Nasser hospital. A further six people were killed while waiting for aid in northern Gaza near the Zikim crossing, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and the Shifa hospital in Gaza City which received the casualties. In central Gaza, witnesses said they first heard warning shots before the fire was aimed toward crowds of aid seekers trying to reach a food distribution site operated by Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The Associated Press cannot independently confirm who fired the shots. The Awda hospital in the nearby Nuseirat refugee camp said four people were killed by Israeli gunfire. 'First, it was in the air, then they started to fire at the people,' said Sayed Awda, who waited hundreds of metres from the GHF site in the area. Six other aid seekers were killed while trying to reach GHF sites in Khan Younis and Rafah, Nasser hospital said. The US and Israel backed the foundation months ago as an alternative to the UN-run aid system, but its early operations have been marred by deaths and chaos, with aid-seekers coming under gunfire near the routes leading to the sites. Responding to AP inquiries, the GHF media office said: 'There were no incidents at or near our sites today and these incidents appear to be linked to crowds trying to loot aid convoy.' Israel's military also said there were no incidents involving Israeli troops near central Gaza aid sites. Seven people were killed in airstrikes, local hospitals reported — three people near the fishermen's port in Gaza City and four people, two of them children, in a strike that hit a tent in Khan Younis. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes, but has accused Hamas of operating from civilian areas. Israel's air and ground offensive has displaced most of the population and pushed the territory towards famine. Two more Palestinian children died of malnutrition-related causes on Saturday, bringing the death toll among children in Gaza to 100 since the war began. A total of 117 adults have died of malnutrition-related causes since late June when the ministry started to count this age category, it said. The toll from hunger is not included in the ministry's death toll of 61,400 Palestinians in the war. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, does not distinguish between fighters or civilians, but says around half of the dead have been women and children. The UN and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on war casualties. Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held in Gaza attend a rally demanding their release from Hamas captivity and calling for an end to the war, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP) The prospect of expanding the war has sparked outrage both internationally and within Israel, where bereaved families and relatives of hostages still held in Gaza urged companies to declare a general strike next week. 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He said Israel's military would remain in the area's refugee camps at least until the end of the year. Approximately 40,000 Palestinians have been driven from their homes this year in the West Bank's largest displacement since Israel captured the territory in 1967. Israel says the operations are needed to stamp out militancy, as violence by all sides has surged since Hamas's 2023 attack ignited war in Gaza. Mr Katz on Sunday said the number of warnings about attacks against Israelis in the West Bank had decreased by 80% since the operation began in January.


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Mapped: What parts of Ukraine does Russia control as Trump suggests land swap for peace?
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