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7NEWS
3 hours ago
- 7NEWS
White House hasn't ruled out Zelensky being in Alaska during Trump-Putin meeting
A diplomatic scramble unfolded at the weekend after US President Donald Trump announced he would meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, next week in Alaska, as European leaders rushed to understand the terms of the meeting and ensure Ukraine was not being left out of discussions about its future. In the English countryside on Saturday, European officials presented their case to Vice President JD Vance in a hastily arranged meeting. The leaders of several European nations said afterward that while they supported Trump's diplomatic efforts, any peace talks must be preceded by a ceasefire and Ukraine itself must be actively involved. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not named as a participant in the Alaska summit, to take place Friday between Trump and Putin. However, the White House has not completely ruled out including Zelensky in some meetings, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN. One White House official stressed that anything involving Zelensky would likely happen after the Trump-Putin meeting. The summit has come together very quickly, and details are still in flux. An exact location has yet to be announced. A White House official said Trump remained 'open to a trilateral summit with both leaders' but that 'the White House is planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin.' Since Trump unveiled plans to meet with Putin in a post to social media Friday, there has been an intensive diplomatic effort behind the scenes to get US allies on board. Trump's announcement notably did not say whether or when Zelensky would be included in the process. Zelensky and European leaders, meanwhile, have been emphatic that Ukraine needs to be part of any discussions about ending the war. In the Saturday meeting hosted by Vance at the manor home of the British foreign secretary, European officials laid out their terms and sought more information from US officials about the plan Putin presented Wednesday to US envoy Steve Witkoff. They emphasised a number of points, Western officials said: that Ukraine must be involved in the talks, that a ceasefire is in place before other steps are taken, and that if Ukraine makes territorial concessions, Russia must also concede land it currently occupies. A statement afterward from the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, the European Union and Finland said the group welcomed 'President Trump's work to stop the killing in Ukraine, end the Russian Federation's war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine.' Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said he 'appreciates and fully supports' the joint statement. But it spelled out terms of a peace plan that appeared to differ from the one Putin has put forward, in which he is seeking significant territorial concessions, according to Western officials. '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 path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine,' the joint statement read. 'We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.' The statement also said any diplomatic agreement to end the war must include 'robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.' The terms amounted to an attempt by European leaders to scramble a response to the rapidly unfolding diplomacy, which was set in motion this week with Witkoff's meeting in Moscow. Pressed by reporters for details on the contours of a deal, Trump indicated Friday that it could include 'some swapping of territories.' The way the Europeans understand it, Putin presented a proposal that would require Ukraine to give over the entire eastern Donbas region, which Russia partially occupies. But the exact contours of the plan remained somewhat unclear, even after several follow-up phone conversations between the Europeans and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Witkoff. The fate of the two other regions that have been in Moscow's sights — Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which Russia only partially occupies — wasn't clear. Nor was the status of US security guarantees going forward, the officials said. That has left European leaders, who have expressed concern about the possibility of Ukraine ceding territory, rushing to get more details on what a ceasefire would entail. To allay some of those concerns, Vance convened the hours-long meeting Saturday with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and European and Ukrainian officials to lay out the US' view of negotiations, as well as American officials' understanding of Russia's stance. Witkoff attended the meeting virtually. A US official told CNN that 'significant progress' was made, but it is still unclear whether there is European or Ukrainian buy-in heading into Friday's critical meeting. After Saturday's meeting, Zelensky said he believed the US was listening. 'Our arguments are being heard. The dangers are being taken into account,' he said in an address.
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Zelenskiy thanks EU for support as Trump, Putin to meet
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has thanked European leaders for backing his demand for a seat at the table as Russia and the United States prepare for a summit where Kyiv fears they could seek to dictate terms to it for ending the war. US President Donald Trump, who for weeks had been threatening new sanctions against Russia for failing to halt the conflict, has announced he will hold a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. A White House official said on Saturday Trump was open to Zelenskiy attending, but that preparations were for a bilateral meeting with Putin. The Kremlin leader last week ruled out meeting Zelenskiy at this point, saying the conditions for such an encounter were "unfortunately still far" from being met. Trump said a potential deal would involve "some swapping of territories to the betterment of both (sides)", a statement that compounded Ukrainian alarm that it might face pressure to surrender more land. Zelenskiy says any decisions taken without Ukraine will be "stillborn" and unworkable. On Saturday the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said in a joint statement that any diplomatic solution must protect the vital security interests of Ukraine and Europe. "The path to peace cannot be decided without Ukraine," they said, demanding "robust and credible security guarantees" to allow Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. "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," Zelenskiy said on Sunday. A European official said Europe had come up with a counter-proposal to Trump's, but declined to provide details. Russian officials accused Europe of trying to thwart Trump's efforts to end the war. "The Euro-imbeciles are trying to prevent American efforts to help resolve the Ukrainian conflict," former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev posted on social media on Sunday. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a vituperative statement that the relationship between Ukraine and the European Union resembled "necrophilia". Roman Alekhin, a Russian war blogger, said Europe had been reduced to the role of a spectator. "If Putin and Trump reach an agreement directly, Europe will be faced with a fait accompli. Kyiv - even more so," he said. No details of the proposed territorial swap that Trump alluded to have been officially announced. Russia, which mounted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, holds about a fifth of the country and has claimed the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, although it controls only about 70 per cent of the last three. Russia has also taken pockets of territory in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions and said in recent weeks it had captured villages in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Ukraine says it holds a sliver of the Kursk region in western Russia. Ukraine and its European allies have been haunted for months by the fear that Trump, keen to claim credit for making peace and hoping to seal lucrative joint business deals between the US and Russia, could align with Putin to cut a deal that would be deeply disadvantageous to Kyiv. They had drawn some encouragement lately as Trump, having piled heavy pressure on Zelenskiy and berated him publicly in the Oval Office in February, began criticising Putin and expressing disgust as Russia pounded Kyiv and other cities with its heaviest air attacks of the war. But the impending Putin-Trump summit, agreed during a trip to Moscow by Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff last week, has revived fears Kyiv and Europe could be sidelined. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has thanked European leaders for backing his demand for a seat at the table as Russia and the United States prepare for a summit where Kyiv fears they could seek to dictate terms to it for ending the war. US President Donald Trump, who for weeks had been threatening new sanctions against Russia for failing to halt the conflict, has announced he will hold a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. A White House official said on Saturday Trump was open to Zelenskiy attending, but that preparations were for a bilateral meeting with Putin. The Kremlin leader last week ruled out meeting Zelenskiy at this point, saying the conditions for such an encounter were "unfortunately still far" from being met. Trump said a potential deal would involve "some swapping of territories to the betterment of both (sides)", a statement that compounded Ukrainian alarm that it might face pressure to surrender more land. Zelenskiy says any decisions taken without Ukraine will be "stillborn" and unworkable. On Saturday the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said in a joint statement that any diplomatic solution must protect the vital security interests of Ukraine and Europe. "The path to peace cannot be decided without Ukraine," they said, demanding "robust and credible security guarantees" to allow Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. "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," Zelenskiy said on Sunday. A European official said Europe had come up with a counter-proposal to Trump's, but declined to provide details. Russian officials accused Europe of trying to thwart Trump's efforts to end the war. "The Euro-imbeciles are trying to prevent American efforts to help resolve the Ukrainian conflict," former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev posted on social media on Sunday. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a vituperative statement that the relationship between Ukraine and the European Union resembled "necrophilia". Roman Alekhin, a Russian war blogger, said Europe had been reduced to the role of a spectator. "If Putin and Trump reach an agreement directly, Europe will be faced with a fait accompli. Kyiv - even more so," he said. No details of the proposed territorial swap that Trump alluded to have been officially announced. Russia, which mounted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, holds about a fifth of the country and has claimed the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, although it controls only about 70 per cent of the last three. Russia has also taken pockets of territory in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions and said in recent weeks it had captured villages in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Ukraine says it holds a sliver of the Kursk region in western Russia. Ukraine and its European allies have been haunted for months by the fear that Trump, keen to claim credit for making peace and hoping to seal lucrative joint business deals between the US and Russia, could align with Putin to cut a deal that would be deeply disadvantageous to Kyiv. They had drawn some encouragement lately as Trump, having piled heavy pressure on Zelenskiy and berated him publicly in the Oval Office in February, began criticising Putin and expressing disgust as Russia pounded Kyiv and other cities with its heaviest air attacks of the war. But the impending Putin-Trump summit, agreed during a trip to Moscow by Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff last week, has revived fears Kyiv and Europe could be sidelined. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has thanked European leaders for backing his demand for a seat at the table as Russia and the United States prepare for a summit where Kyiv fears they could seek to dictate terms to it for ending the war. US President Donald Trump, who for weeks had been threatening new sanctions against Russia for failing to halt the conflict, has announced he will hold a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. A White House official said on Saturday Trump was open to Zelenskiy attending, but that preparations were for a bilateral meeting with Putin. The Kremlin leader last week ruled out meeting Zelenskiy at this point, saying the conditions for such an encounter were "unfortunately still far" from being met. Trump said a potential deal would involve "some swapping of territories to the betterment of both (sides)", a statement that compounded Ukrainian alarm that it might face pressure to surrender more land. Zelenskiy says any decisions taken without Ukraine will be "stillborn" and unworkable. On Saturday the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said in a joint statement that any diplomatic solution must protect the vital security interests of Ukraine and Europe. "The path to peace cannot be decided without Ukraine," they said, demanding "robust and credible security guarantees" to allow Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. "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," Zelenskiy said on Sunday. A European official said Europe had come up with a counter-proposal to Trump's, but declined to provide details. Russian officials accused Europe of trying to thwart Trump's efforts to end the war. "The Euro-imbeciles are trying to prevent American efforts to help resolve the Ukrainian conflict," former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev posted on social media on Sunday. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a vituperative statement that the relationship between Ukraine and the European Union resembled "necrophilia". Roman Alekhin, a Russian war blogger, said Europe had been reduced to the role of a spectator. "If Putin and Trump reach an agreement directly, Europe will be faced with a fait accompli. Kyiv - even more so," he said. No details of the proposed territorial swap that Trump alluded to have been officially announced. Russia, which mounted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, holds about a fifth of the country and has claimed the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, although it controls only about 70 per cent of the last three. Russia has also taken pockets of territory in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions and said in recent weeks it had captured villages in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Ukraine says it holds a sliver of the Kursk region in western Russia. Ukraine and its European allies have been haunted for months by the fear that Trump, keen to claim credit for making peace and hoping to seal lucrative joint business deals between the US and Russia, could align with Putin to cut a deal that would be deeply disadvantageous to Kyiv. They had drawn some encouragement lately as Trump, having piled heavy pressure on Zelenskiy and berated him publicly in the Oval Office in February, began criticising Putin and expressing disgust as Russia pounded Kyiv and other cities with its heaviest air attacks of the war. But the impending Putin-Trump summit, agreed during a trip to Moscow by Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff last week, has revived fears Kyiv and Europe could be sidelined. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has thanked European leaders for backing his demand for a seat at the table as Russia and the United States prepare for a summit where Kyiv fears they could seek to dictate terms to it for ending the war. US President Donald Trump, who for weeks had been threatening new sanctions against Russia for failing to halt the conflict, has announced he will hold a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. A White House official said on Saturday Trump was open to Zelenskiy attending, but that preparations were for a bilateral meeting with Putin. The Kremlin leader last week ruled out meeting Zelenskiy at this point, saying the conditions for such an encounter were "unfortunately still far" from being met. Trump said a potential deal would involve "some swapping of territories to the betterment of both (sides)", a statement that compounded Ukrainian alarm that it might face pressure to surrender more land. Zelenskiy says any decisions taken without Ukraine will be "stillborn" and unworkable. On Saturday the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said in a joint statement that any diplomatic solution must protect the vital security interests of Ukraine and Europe. "The path to peace cannot be decided without Ukraine," they said, demanding "robust and credible security guarantees" to allow Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. "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," Zelenskiy said on Sunday. A European official said Europe had come up with a counter-proposal to Trump's, but declined to provide details. Russian officials accused Europe of trying to thwart Trump's efforts to end the war. "The Euro-imbeciles are trying to prevent American efforts to help resolve the Ukrainian conflict," former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev posted on social media on Sunday. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a vituperative statement that the relationship between Ukraine and the European Union resembled "necrophilia". Roman Alekhin, a Russian war blogger, said Europe had been reduced to the role of a spectator. "If Putin and Trump reach an agreement directly, Europe will be faced with a fait accompli. Kyiv - even more so," he said. No details of the proposed territorial swap that Trump alluded to have been officially announced. Russia, which mounted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, holds about a fifth of the country and has claimed the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, although it controls only about 70 per cent of the last three. Russia has also taken pockets of territory in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions and said in recent weeks it had captured villages in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Ukraine says it holds a sliver of the Kursk region in western Russia. Ukraine and its European allies have been haunted for months by the fear that Trump, keen to claim credit for making peace and hoping to seal lucrative joint business deals between the US and Russia, could align with Putin to cut a deal that would be deeply disadvantageous to Kyiv. They had drawn some encouragement lately as Trump, having piled heavy pressure on Zelenskiy and berated him publicly in the Oval Office in February, began criticising Putin and expressing disgust as Russia pounded Kyiv and other cities with its heaviest air attacks of the war. But the impending Putin-Trump summit, agreed during a trip to Moscow by Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff last week, has revived fears Kyiv and Europe could be sidelined.
Sydney Morning Herald
12 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump is turning the people's house into a ‘dictator-chic' Saudi palace
When I was little, my mom told me a Cinderella story that happened to be true. Once upon a time, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson held a competition for the design of the house of our presidents. Well-established architects submitted proposals, but the winner was a young Irishman, James Hoban. He also supervised the construction of part of the Capitol. My dad, another Irishman, worked at the Capitol. And sometimes my mom and I would drive down and gaze at the White House and Capitol, so proud that an up-and-coming Irishman could have beaten out all the other architects to play such a central role in conjuring the seats of our new republic. I would think about that when I grew up to be a White House reporter, interviewing president George H.W. Bush in the Oval Office. The room where it happens was a place of wonder, baked in history – good and bad. A famous old ivy, which lasted through so many administrations and eavesdropped on so many remarkable conversations, was the main item on the mantel, flanked by porcelain vases. (Now there are nine gold decorative objects and counting.) Back then, the room was understated and overwhelming. As Michael Douglas' CEO said in The American President, showing off the Oval Office: 'The White House is the single greatest home court advantage in the modern world.' Real power doesn't need to shout. In fact, it can whisper. But Donald Trump was shouting down to reporters on Tuesday as he surveyed his desecration from the White House roof. He looked at his brutalist Rose Garden renovation, a stone slab with Florida-esque patio furniture and the site of the proposed $US200 million ($311 million) ballroom, encroaching on the East Wing and encompassing 90,000 square feet, nearly twice the size of the White House residence. Trump vowed to pay for the ballroom with private funds – which means, of course, that someone else will curry favour and pay. (Trump bulldozed the Rose Garden, which Melania Trump helped renovate, just so reporters covering his outdoor pronouncements and White House staffers would not sink into the grass.)
