Trump and Putin ‘plan West Bank-style occupation of Ukraine' to secure truce – as Zelensky & Europe hold emergency talks
The superpowers have discussed using Israel's occupation of the West Bank as a model for ending the war in Ukraine, sources said.
3
President Vladimir Putin welcomes US envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting
Credit: Reuters
3
Trump and Putin will sit down for what the White House calls a 'listening exercise'
Credit: Reuters
3
This would give Russia military and economic control of the occupied parts of Ukraine, which would run its own 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.
The idea was first raised weeks ago in discussions between US envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterparts, a source close to the US national security council told the paper.
Witkoff apparently supported the plan, which the Americans believe offers a solution to the Ukrainian law against giving up land without a national referendum.
Meanwhile, European leaders and Zelensky had a "constructive" chat with Trump, according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Zelensky insisted there must be a meeting between all the three leaders of Ukraine, Russia and the US after he was snubbed from Trump and Putin's head-to-head on Friday.
He said hopes a ceasefire will be the main topic of discussion in Alaska - and Merz reassured that Trump will make that his "priority".
French president Emmanuel Macron said Trump would "fight" for a meeting with both Putin and Zelensky - which could be hosted in Europe.
Zelensky confirmed that Trump will call him after bidding farewell to Putin on Friday.
He raged: "Putin is bluffing, he's trying to trying to push all over the front line."
And he addressed the idea that Russia could occupy the whole of Ukraine, declaring: "This is not true."
Ursula von der Leyden, European Commission President, agreed that that the European leaders a "very good" call with Trump.
She said: "Today Europe, the US and NATO have strengthened the common ground for Ukraine.
"We will remain in close coordination. Nobody wants peace more than us, a just and lasting peace."
More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
28 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Watch: 'Next time in Moscow?' Vladimir Putin asks Donald Trump for next summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin invited US President Donald Trump to Moscow for further talks after a summit in Alaska yielded no agreement to resolve or pause Moscow's war in Ukraine. After the meeting yesterday, Mr Trump told Mr Putin, "I'd like to thank you very much, and we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon." "Next time in Moscow," a smiling Mr Putin responded in English. Mr Trump said he might "get a little heat on that one" but that he could "possibly see it happening".
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
'High-stakes' summit of presidential pageantry ends in no deal
This was billed as a "high-stakes" summit, and yet it ended with no deal. President Donald Trump had been optimistic as he flew to Alaska yesterday morning aboard Air Force One about the prospects of securing a ceasefire in the war he promised he would finish on day one of his presidency. But he went back to Washington empty-handed. For President Vladimir Putin, though, the day was a great success. Treated to full-on presidential pageantry, complete with a red carpet and American fighter jet escort, this looked and felt like a man being brought in from the cold. At one point, President Trump even clapped as he watched the Russian president walk towards him. The warm smiles, jokes and handshakes were certainly very different to the verbal mauling Ukraine's war leader Volodymyr Zelensky got the last time he visited Mr Trump. A reporter shouted a question, asking Mr Putin if he would stop killing civilians. The Russian president pointed to his ear, making as if he could not hear. Perhaps most surprising of all was Mr Putin's decision to leave his Russian-made limousine idling on the tarmac, opting instead to climb into the US President's limo, known as "the Beast" - a sign of deep familiarity and trust. Mr Putin grinned from the back seat as they sped away. It was clear the Russian delegation felt very comfortable in Alaska, not least perhaps because it used to be Russian territory. Ahead of the meeting, Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was spotted sporting a t-shirt emblazoned with CCCP - the Russian letters of the USSR - in a not-so-subtle reference to Russia's imperialist past. The meeting went on for nearly three hours behind closed doors as the world held its breath. But then came a rambling press conference, where President Putin and President Trump spoke in vague terms about what had been discussed. Mr Putin took the stage first, delivering a lengthy monologue in Russian, which returned to familiar talking points about needing to address the "root causes" of the conflict. It became clear, he had not offered Mr Trump any concessions. He also took the opportunity to mention the areas of "cooperation" between the US and Russia, notably in the Arctic - something we know President Trump is particularly keen on. Then it was President Trump's turn, and in a roundabout way, he delivered the news everyone had been waiting for. "There were many, many points that we agree on," he said. "A couple of big ones that we haven't quite gotten there," adding, "so there's no deal until there's a deal". So, no deal then. Mr Trump then went on to press his own favourite talking points - including several references to the "Russia, Russia, Russia hoax," and theories, he said, Mr Putin had told him about electoral fraud in the United States. The event wrapped up with an invitation from Mr Putin to Mr Trump. Switching to English, "next time in Moscow," he said. Mr Trump chuckled and said he might get a lot of "heat" for that one. In the end, it was a "press conference" right out of the authoritarian's playbook - the men refusing to take questions from the free press, rather than risk any, perhaps, that might be difficult to answer. This was highly unusual for President Trump, who has made freewheeling encounters with journalists a hallmark of his second term. Whether Mr Trump takes Mr Putin up on his offer of meeting in Moscow remains to be seen. But Mr Putin knows where he is going next. At the end of this month, he will travel to China for a regional summit and bi-lateral talks with China's president Xi Jinping, whose support Mr Putin has relied on for his war on Ukraine. With powerful friends like these, it seems the Russian president has paid little diplomatic cost for invading his neighbour.
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
No deal and no answers after Trump-Putin talks on Ukraine in Alaska
Donald Trump left more questions than answers on Friday as he claimed 'great progress' in his high-stakes summit with Vladimir Putin but admitted that no deal had been reached to end Russia's war on Ukraine. The US president also suggested that it was now up to Volodymyr Zelenskyy to 'get it done' and that a meeting would be set up between the Ukrainian president and Putin, which Trump might attend. 'We had an extremely productive meeting and many points were agreed to,' Trump said at a joint press conference in Anchorage, Alaska. "There are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant but we have a very good chance of getting there." He cautioned: "There's no deal until there's a deal." The two leaders lavished praise on each other — Putin endorsed Trump's view that the war would never have started if Trump had won the 2020 election — but offered no details of the nearly three-hour meeting and took no questions from reporters. Putin, speaking through an interpreter, described Trump's efforts on Ukraine as 'precious' and, suggested the two leaders had hammered out 'an understanding'. He urged Europe to 'not throw a wrench in the works' and to 'not use backroom dealings' to torpedo it. Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin talk, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Putin said that he agreed that Ukraine's security must be guaranteed – but also said that the 'root causes' of the conflict must be resolved. Those 'root causes' have previously included his demands for Ukraine's formal renunciation of Nato membership as well as its 'denazification' – a vague set of demands that in practice amount to the removal of Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy and European allies may have been alarmed by Trump's body language and deferential attitude toward Putin, whom he welcomed warmly at an Alaska air force base and allowed to ride in the presidential limousine known as 'the beast'. Trump told reporters: 'We really made some great progress today. I've always had a fantastic relationship with President Putin – with Vladimir.' As the press conference ended Putin suggested their next meeting might take place in Moscow, and dozens of reporters shouted questions in vain. The US president, who can typically never resist a free-wheeling press conference, left the stage without answering any of them. However, he did elaborate in an interview with Sean Hannity, a host on the conservative Fox News network, suggesting that the ball was in Ukraine's court. 'Now it's really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done and I would also say the European nations – they have to get involved a little bit. 'They're going to set up a meeting now between President Zelenskyy and President Putin and myself I guess. I didn't ask about it. Not that I want to be there but I want to make sure it gets done and we have a pretty good chance of getting it done.' Lighthearted banter The two leaders disembarked their planes at 11.08am local time at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a cold war-era air force base on the outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska. The friendly, tactile body language that followed offered a stark contrast to Trump's shakedown of Zelenskyy, in the Oval Office in February. Trump and Putin walked down red carpets that had been rolled up to their respective planes and met where the carpets came to a T, with Trump arriving first and clapping as Putin approached. The men shared a warm handshake and what appeared to be some lighthearted banter. Trump gave Putin a friendly tap on the arm. Putin grinned and pointed skyward while their hands were still clasped. Donald Trump greets Russia's Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Trump and Putin stood looking towards the media but did not respond to shouted questions including: 'President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?' The Russian president, who is wanted by the international criminal court, appeared to shrug. Putin then joined Trump in the presidential limousine – a rare privilege for allies and adversaries alike – and could be seen laughing with glee. The men then sat together in a conference room with their respective delegations, seated to the side in front of a blue backdrop that had the words 'Pursuing Peace' printed on it several times. Trump was joined by the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Putin by his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov.
