Starmer set to speak to Trump alongside European leaders ahead of Putin meeting
The Prime Minister warned on Monday that peace 'must be built with Ukraine, not imposed upon it', amid concerns of Kyiv's exclusion from talks between Mr Trump and his Russian counterpart.
The two leaders are set to meet this Friday to discuss the future of the Kremlin's invasion, without the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr Trump has confirmed.
The US president has also signalled he thinks Ukraine might need to cede territory in order to end the conflict, stating there is likely to be 'some land-swapping going on'.
Speaking during a lengthy press conference, Mr Trump pledged to 'try to get back' some of Ukraine's 'oceanfront property' from Russia.
He said: 'We're going to change the lines, the battle lines. Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They've occupied some very prime territory. We're going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine.
'They have taken largely – in real estate we call it oceanfront property. That's always the most valuable property.'
Mr Trump said he would speak to the Ukrainian president following the summit and suggested he could meet Mr Putin at a later date.
The call on Wednesday, organised by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, will include Mr Zelensky.
In a joint statement earlier this week, the leaders of Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said: '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.
'We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force.'
The Prime Minister and Canada's Mark Carney had also agreed Ukraine's future 'must be one of freedom, sovereignty and self-determination' during a phone call on Monday.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: 'They discussed their unwavering support for Ukraine and ongoing work to stop the killing, and end Russia's war of aggression.
'Both leaders underscored that Ukraine's future must be one of freedom, sovereignty and self-determination.
'They welcomed continued international efforts, led by President Trump, to bring peace and agreed that this must be built with Ukraine, not imposed upon it.
'Both leaders agreed they would continue to work closely with President Trump and President Zelensky over the coming days. They agreed to stay in touch.'
No 10 had earlier backed Mr Trump's interventions over the war but warned that Mr Putin cannot be trusted 'as far as you can throw him'.
Asked whether Sir Keir believes the Russian president could be trusted in negotiations, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said the UK supported both Kyiv and the US president's push for peace, but not Moscow.
'Never trust President Putin as far as you could throw him, but we obviously will support Ukraine,' he said.
'We will obviously support President Trump and European nations as we enter these negotiations.
'But it is exactly why we've been leading this work on the coalition of the willing, because any ceasefire, as I say, cannot just be an opportunity for President Putin to go away, re-arm, restrengthen, and then go again.
'So we're not going to leave it to trust. We're going to ensure that we're prepared such that we achieve a ceasefire.'
The US president has 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.
But Mr Zelensky has already rejected any proposal that would compromise Ukraine's territorial integrity, something that is forbidden by Ukraine's constitution.
He said Mr Putin wanted to 'exchange a pause in the war, in the killing, for the legalisation of the occupation of our land – he wants to get territorial spoils for the second time'.
Mr Zelensky added: 'We will not allow this second attempt to partition Ukraine.
'Knowing Russia, where there is a second, there will be a third.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A UFC fight at the White House? Dana White says it's happening as part of deal with Paramount
Hours after Paramount and UFC announced a billion-dollar rights deal, Dana White said he had yet to hear from his friend, President Donald Trump, on his thoughts about the fight company's new streaming home. That was fine with White. The UFC CEO was set to travel to Washington on Aug. 28 to meet with Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, to catch up and discuss logistics on the proposed Fourth of July fight card next year at the White House. Trump said last month he wanted to stage a UFC match on the White House grounds with upwards of 20,000 spectators to celebrate 250 years of American independence. 'It's absolutely going to happen," White told The Associated Press. 'Think about that, the 250th birthday of the United States of America, the UFC will be on the White House south lawn live on CBS.' The idea of cage fights at the White House would have seemed improbable when the Frittata brothers purchased UFC for $2 million in 2001 and put White in charge of the fledging fight promotion. White helped steer the company into a $4 billion sale in 2016 and broadcast rights deals with Fox and ESPN before landing owner TKO Group's richest one yet — a seven-year deal with Paramount starting in 2026 worth an average of $1.1 billion a year, with all cards on its streaming platform Paramount+ and select numbered events also set to simulcast on CBS. ESPN, Amazon and Netflix and other traditional sports broadcast players seemed more in play for UFC rights — White had previously hinted fights could air across different platforms — but Paramount was a serious contender from the start of the negotiating window. The Paramount and UFC deal came just days after Skydance and Paramount officially closed their $8 billion merger — kicking off the reign of a new entertainment giant after a contentious endeavor to get the transaction over the finish line. White said he was impressed with the vision Skydance CEO David Ellison had for the the global MMA leader early in contract talks and how those plans should blossom now that Ellison is chairman and CEO of Paramount. 'When you talk about Paramount, you talk about David Ellison, they're brilliant businessmen, very aggressive, risk takers,' White said. 'They're right up my alley. These are the kind of guys that I like to be in business with.' The $1.1 billion deals marks a notable jump from the roughly $550 million that ESPN paid each year for UFC coverage today. But UFC's new home on Paramount will simplify offerings for fans — with all content set to be available on Paramount+ (which currently costs between $7.99 and $12.99 a month), rather than various pay-per-view fees. Paramount also said it intends to explore UFC rights outside the U.S. 'as they become available in the future.' UFC matchmakers were set to meet this week to shape what White said would be a loaded debut Paramount card. The UFC boss noted it was still too early to discuss a potential main event for the White House fight night. 'This is a 1-of-1 event,' White said. There are still some moving parts to UFC broadcasts and other television programming it has its hands in as the company moves into the Paramount era. White said there are still moving parts to the deal and that includes potentially finding new homes for 'The Ultimate Fighter,' 'Road To UFC,' and 'Dana White's Contender Series.' It's not necessarily a given the traditional 10 p.m. start time for what were the pay-per-view events would stand, especially on nights cards will also air on CBS. 'We haven't figured that out yet but we will,' White said. And what about the sometimes-contentious issue of fighter pay? Some established fighters have clauses in their contracts that they earn more money the higher the buyrate on their cards. Again, most of those issues are to-be-determined as UFC and Paramount settle in to the new deal — with $1.1 billion headed the fight company's way. 'It will affect fighter pay, big time,' White said. 'From deal-to-deal, fighter pay has grown, too. Every time we win, everybody wins.' Boxer Jake Paul wrote on social media the dying PPV model — which was overpriced for fights as UFC saw a decline in buys because of missing star power in many main events — should give the fighters an increased idea of their worth. 'Every fighter in the UFC now has a clear picture of what the revenue more PPV excuses,' Paul wrote. 'Get your worth boys and girls.' White also scoffed at the idea that the traditional PPV model is dead. There are still UFC cards on pay-per-view the rest of the year through the end of the ESPN contract and White and Saudi Arabia have teamed to launch a new boxing venture that starts next year and could use a PPV home. White, though, is part of the promotional team for the Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford fight in September in Las Vegas that airs on Netflix. 'It's definitely not run it's course,' White said. 'There were guys out there who were interested in pay-per-view and there were guys out there that weren't. Wherever we ended up, that's what we're going to roll with.' White said UFC archival footage 'kills it' in repeat views and those classic bouts also needed a new home once the ESPN deal expires. Just when it seems there's little left for UFC to conquer, White says, there's always more. Why stop at becoming the biggest fight game in the world? Why not rewrite the pecking order in popularity and riches and go for No. 1 in all sports? 'You have the NFL, the NBA, the UFC, and soccer globally,' White said. 'We're coming. We're coming for all of them.' ___ AP sports:
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jimmy Kimmel Says ‘I Did Get Italian Citizenship' Because Trump's Presidency ‘Is as Bad as You Thought It Was Gonna Be. It's So Much Worse'
Is Jimmy Kimmel preparing to leave the United States amid Donald Trump's presidency? Perhaps not given his work commitment to ABC's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' but he's certainly giving himself an exit plan if needed by obtaining Italian citizenship this year. Celebrities such as Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres fled the U.S. last fall after Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the presidential election. Kimmel confirmed on 'The Sarah Silverman Podcast' (via The Daily Beast) that a door is open for him to follow suit. 'A lot of people I know are thinking about, where are they going to get citizenship?' Silverman said about the reaction to Trump. More from Variety Emma Thompson Says Donald Trump Asked Her Out on a Date: 'I Could Have Changed the Course of American History!' Rosie O'Donnell Fears 'The View' Will Be Canceled for Not 'Aligning' With Trump; White House Calls Her an 'Irrelevant Loser': 'Our Country Is Better Off With Rosie Living Abroad' David Ellison, Asked Whether Skydance Has a Side Deal With Trump for Free TV Ads, Says 'We Were Not Involved' in the Paramount Settlement 'in Any Way' 'I did get Italian citizenship,' Kimmel replied. 'What's going on [with Trump] is as bad as you thought it was gonna be. It's so much worse; it's just unbelievable. I feel like it's probably even worse than he would like it to be.' Kimmel regularly bashes Trump during his late-night monologues, so much so that Trump has boasted that 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' will be the next late night show canceled after CBS gave the ax to Stephen Colbert and 'The Late Show.' Kimmel responded to Trump with this comment: 'I'm hearing you're next. Or maybe it's just another wonderful secret.' The phrase 'wonderful secret' is a reference to a Wall Street Journal story, published July 17, that claimed Trump sent a letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 that was included in a birthday album of well-wishes. O'Donnell, who also bashes Trump on a consistent basis, moved to Ireland in the wake of Trump's victory. When recently asked by Variety if she had plans to return to the states, she answered: 'With the current political climate, when would it be safe to come back with my child? I'm not going to push it before this administration is completely finished, and hopefully held accountable for their crimes.' As for Kimmel, he explained to Silverman during the podcast interview that he does not hold any grudges against those who voted for Trump if they decide to change their minds and join the opposition. 'Now you see these clips of Joe Rogan saying, 'Why is he doing this? Why are you deporting people?' And people go, 'Fuck you! You supported him.' I don't buy into that,' Kimmel said. 'The door has to stay open. If you want to change your mind, that's so hard to do. If you want to admit you were wrong, that is so hard and so rare to do. You are welcome [to do so].' Listen to Kimmel's full interview on the 'The Sarah Silverman Podcast' podcast here. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025
Washington Post
26 minutes ago
- Washington Post
The Latest: National Guard troops arrive in Washington DC as Trump's federal takeover begins
President Donald Trump took unprecedented steps toward federalizing Washington, D.C . on Monday, saying it's needed to fight crime even as city leaders pointed to data showing violence is down. He took command of the police department and deployed the National Guard under laws and Constitutional powers that give the federal government more sway over the nation's capital than other cities. Its historically majority Black population wasn't electing its own city council and mayor until 1973, when Republican President Richard Nixon signed the Home Rule Act.
