Trump says he'll pressure Putin on Ukraine ceasefire ahead of meeting
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The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Trump takes off for high-stakes Putin meeting in Alaska
US President Donald Trump has departed Washington aboard Air Force One to head to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska for discussions about a possible ceasefire deal for Ukraine. Trump was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, as well as other top aides, the White House said on Friday. "HIGH STAKES!!!" Trump wrote on his social media platform before leaving the White House for a trip the US sees as a possible way to end the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict and recognising - if only informally - Russian control over one-fifth of Ukraine. Both Trump and Putin are seeking wins from their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House. Trump, who casts the war as a "bloodbath" fraught with escalatory risk, is pressing for a truce in the three-and-a-half-year-old war that would bolster his credentials as worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win as he can use it to say that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow has retaken its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. The summit, the first between a US and Russian leader since 2021, will begin at 11am on Friday (5am on Saturday AEST) at a Cold War-era air force base. Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Thursday it had proven a tougher nut to crack than he had thought. He said if Friday's talks went well, quickly setting up a subsequent three-way summit with Zelenskiy would be even more important than his encounter with Putin. A source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine given Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Ukraine and its European allies were heartened by a call on Wednesday in which they said Trump had agreed Ukraine must be involved in any talks about ceding land. Zelenskiy said Trump had also supported the idea of security guarantees for Kyiv. Russia, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, is vulnerable to additional US sanctions - and Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. The day before the summit, Putin held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control agreement to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February 2026. Trump said on the eve of the summit that he thought Putin would do a deal on Ukraine, but he has blown hot and cold on the chances of a breakthrough. Putin has so far voiced stringent conditions for a full ceasefire, but one compromise could be a truce in the air war. Putin has said he is open to a ceasefire but has repeatedly said the issues of verification need to be sorted out first. Zelenskiy has accused Putin of playing for time to avoid US secondary sanctions and has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory. Trump has said land transfers could be a possible way of breaking the logjam. Beyond territory, Ukraine has been clear in talks with Western allies that it needs a security guarantee backed by Washington. Putin in 2024 stated his demands for stopping the war - the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions that they still control, an area now of about 21,000 sq km. Putin also said Kyiv would have to officially notify Moscow that it was abandoning its plans to join NATO, and it intended to remain neutral and non-aligned. Ukraine says these terms are tantamount to asking it to capitulate. US President Donald Trump has departed Washington aboard Air Force One to head to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska for discussions about a possible ceasefire deal for Ukraine. Trump was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, as well as other top aides, the White House said on Friday. "HIGH STAKES!!!" Trump wrote on his social media platform before leaving the White House for a trip the US sees as a possible way to end the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict and recognising - if only informally - Russian control over one-fifth of Ukraine. Both Trump and Putin are seeking wins from their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House. Trump, who casts the war as a "bloodbath" fraught with escalatory risk, is pressing for a truce in the three-and-a-half-year-old war that would bolster his credentials as worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win as he can use it to say that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow has retaken its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. The summit, the first between a US and Russian leader since 2021, will begin at 11am on Friday (5am on Saturday AEST) at a Cold War-era air force base. Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Thursday it had proven a tougher nut to crack than he had thought. He said if Friday's talks went well, quickly setting up a subsequent three-way summit with Zelenskiy would be even more important than his encounter with Putin. A source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine given Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Ukraine and its European allies were heartened by a call on Wednesday in which they said Trump had agreed Ukraine must be involved in any talks about ceding land. Zelenskiy said Trump had also supported the idea of security guarantees for Kyiv. Russia, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, is vulnerable to additional US sanctions - and Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. The day before the summit, Putin held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control agreement to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February 2026. Trump said on the eve of the summit that he thought Putin would do a deal on Ukraine, but he has blown hot and cold on the chances of a breakthrough. Putin has so far voiced stringent conditions for a full ceasefire, but one compromise could be a truce in the air war. Putin has said he is open to a ceasefire but has repeatedly said the issues of verification need to be sorted out first. Zelenskiy has accused Putin of playing for time to avoid US secondary sanctions and has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory. Trump has said land transfers could be a possible way of breaking the logjam. Beyond territory, Ukraine has been clear in talks with Western allies that it needs a security guarantee backed by Washington. Putin in 2024 stated his demands for stopping the war - the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions that they still control, an area now of about 21,000 sq km. Putin also said Kyiv would have to officially notify Moscow that it was abandoning its plans to join NATO, and it intended to remain neutral and non-aligned. Ukraine says these terms are tantamount to asking it to capitulate. US President Donald Trump has departed Washington aboard Air Force One to head to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska for discussions about a possible ceasefire deal for Ukraine. Trump was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, as well as other top aides, the White House said on Friday. "HIGH STAKES!!!" Trump wrote on his social media platform before leaving the White House for a trip the US sees as a possible way to end the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict and recognising - if only informally - Russian control over one-fifth of Ukraine. Both Trump and Putin are seeking wins from their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House. Trump, who casts the war as a "bloodbath" fraught with escalatory risk, is pressing for a truce in the three-and-a-half-year-old war that would bolster his credentials as worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win as he can use it to say that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow has retaken its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. The summit, the first between a US and Russian leader since 2021, will begin at 11am on Friday (5am on Saturday AEST) at a Cold War-era air force base. Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Thursday it had proven a tougher nut to crack than he had thought. He said if Friday's talks went well, quickly setting up a subsequent three-way summit with Zelenskiy would be even more important than his encounter with Putin. A source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine given Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Ukraine and its European allies were heartened by a call on Wednesday in which they said Trump had agreed Ukraine must be involved in any talks about ceding land. Zelenskiy said Trump had also supported the idea of security guarantees for Kyiv. Russia, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, is vulnerable to additional US sanctions - and Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. The day before the summit, Putin held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control agreement to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February 2026. Trump said on the eve of the summit that he thought Putin would do a deal on Ukraine, but he has blown hot and cold on the chances of a breakthrough. Putin has so far voiced stringent conditions for a full ceasefire, but one compromise could be a truce in the air war. Putin has said he is open to a ceasefire but has repeatedly said the issues of verification need to be sorted out first. Zelenskiy has accused Putin of playing for time to avoid US secondary sanctions and has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory. Trump has said land transfers could be a possible way of breaking the logjam. Beyond territory, Ukraine has been clear in talks with Western allies that it needs a security guarantee backed by Washington. Putin in 2024 stated his demands for stopping the war - the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions that they still control, an area now of about 21,000 sq km. Putin also said Kyiv would have to officially notify Moscow that it was abandoning its plans to join NATO, and it intended to remain neutral and non-aligned. Ukraine says these terms are tantamount to asking it to capitulate. US President Donald Trump has departed Washington aboard Air Force One to head to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska for discussions about a possible ceasefire deal for Ukraine. Trump was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, as well as other top aides, the White House said on Friday. "HIGH STAKES!!!" Trump wrote on his social media platform before leaving the White House for a trip the US sees as a possible way to end the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict and recognising - if only informally - Russian control over one-fifth of Ukraine. Both Trump and Putin are seeking wins from their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House. Trump, who casts the war as a "bloodbath" fraught with escalatory risk, is pressing for a truce in the three-and-a-half-year-old war that would bolster his credentials as worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win as he can use it to say that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow has retaken its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. The summit, the first between a US and Russian leader since 2021, will begin at 11am on Friday (5am on Saturday AEST) at a Cold War-era air force base. Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Thursday it had proven a tougher nut to crack than he had thought. He said if Friday's talks went well, quickly setting up a subsequent three-way summit with Zelenskiy would be even more important than his encounter with Putin. A source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine given Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Ukraine and its European allies were heartened by a call on Wednesday in which they said Trump had agreed Ukraine must be involved in any talks about ceding land. Zelenskiy said Trump had also supported the idea of security guarantees for Kyiv. Russia, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, is vulnerable to additional US sanctions - and Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. The day before the summit, Putin held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control agreement to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February 2026. Trump said on the eve of the summit that he thought Putin would do a deal on Ukraine, but he has blown hot and cold on the chances of a breakthrough. Putin has so far voiced stringent conditions for a full ceasefire, but one compromise could be a truce in the air war. Putin has said he is open to a ceasefire but has repeatedly said the issues of verification need to be sorted out first. Zelenskiy has accused Putin of playing for time to avoid US secondary sanctions and has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory. Trump has said land transfers could be a possible way of breaking the logjam. Beyond territory, Ukraine has been clear in talks with Western allies that it needs a security guarantee backed by Washington. Putin in 2024 stated his demands for stopping the war - the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions that they still control, an area now of about 21,000 sq km. Putin also said Kyiv would have to officially notify Moscow that it was abandoning its plans to join NATO, and it intended to remain neutral and non-aligned. Ukraine says these terms are tantamount to asking it to capitulate.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Washington DC launches court challenge against Trump administration police takeover
Washington DC has challenged US President Donald Trump's takeover of its police department in court, hours after his administration stepped up its crackdown on policing. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in a new lawsuit that Mr Trump was going far beyond his power under the law. Mr Schwalb asked a judge to find that the district still controls the department and sought an emergency restraining order. "The administration's unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home," he said. "This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it." The lawsuit comes after Federal Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday night, local time, that Drug Enforcement Administration boss Terry Cole would assume the "powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police." She said the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) "must receive approval from Commissioner Cole" before issuing any orders. It was unclear where the move left the city's current police chief, Pamela Smith, who works for the mayor. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser pushed back, writing on social media that "there is no statute that conveys the District's personnel authority to a federal official." Justice Department and White House spokespeople did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the district's lawsuit. Mr Schwalb said late Thursday that Ms Bondi's directive was "unlawful," arguing it could not be followed by the city's police force. He wrote in a memo to Ms Smith that "members of MPD must continue to follow your orders and not the orders of any official not appointed by the Mayor," setting up the legal clash. Ms Bondi's directive came even after Ms Smith told MPD officers hours earlier to share information with immigration agencies regarding people not in custody, such as someone involved in a traffic stop or checkpoint. The Justice Department said Ms Bondi disagreed with the police chief's directive because it allowed for continued enforcement of "sanctuary policies," which generally limit cooperation by local law enforcement with federal immigration officers. Mr Trump's Attorney General said she was rescinding that order as well as other MPD policies limiting inquiries into immigration status and preventing arrests based solely on federal immigration warrants. All new directives must now receive approval from Commissioner Cole, the attorney general said. The police takeover is the latest move by Mr Trump to test the limits of his legal authority. The DC population, already tense from days of ramp-up, has begun seeing more significant shows of force across the city. National Guard troops watched over some of the world's most renowned landmarks and Humvees took position in front of the busy main train station. Volunteers helped homeless people leave long-standing encampments, but it was unclear where they were moved to. Department of Homeland Security police stood outside Nationals Park on Thursday during a game between the Washington Nationals and the Philadelphia Phillies. DEA agents patrolled The Wharf, a popular nightlife area, while Secret Service officers were seen in the Foggy Bottom neighbourhood. National Guard Major Micah Maxwell said troops would assist law enforcement in various roles, including traffic control posts and crowd control. The Guard members have been trained in de-escalation tactics and crowd control equipment, Major Maxwell added. AP
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Trump and Putin to discuss Ukraine in historic Alaska meeting
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are coming face-to-face for the first time since 2019 as they meet at a historic summit in Alaska. The leaders are set to discuss Ukraine and President Trump is approaching the meeting quietly confident that his Russian counterpart is now ready to 'make a deal' when it comes to ending the war. He said on Thursday that his eye is on 'getting peace fast,' and that he'll be poised to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - who was not invited to Alaska - to join them should the discussions with Putin go to plan. The much-anticipated meeting is expected to be a dramatic one with a US official saying 'all options remain on the table,' including the possibility that President Trump walks out if Putin isn't serious about making a deal. The summit is Putin's first time on US soil since 2015 when he attended the United Nation's General Assembly in New York.
