Australia news LIVE: European leaders to join Zelensky in Trump meeting; Productivity boss calls for war on bureaucracy
Latest posts
6.44am
Melania Trump's vague letter to Putin
By Michael Koziol
The text of Melania Trump's letter to Vladimir Putin has been revealed, showing the First Lady implored the Russian president to protect innocent children, but did not explicitly raise the plight of thousands of abducted Ukrainian minors.
US President Donald Trump hand-delivered his wife's letter to Putin as they met in Alaska on the weekend for a historic summit that was intended to progress an end to the war in Ukraine, which began in 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
In that time, Russia has been accused of forcibly transferring – or kidnapping – thousands of Ukrainian children from families and orphanages in occupied regions of Ukraine and sending them to Russia and Belarus.
Ukraine has called the abductions a war crime that rises to the United Nations definition of genocide, and also alleges stolen children are being conscripted into the Russian army when they turn 18. Previously Moscow has said it has been protecting vulnerable children from a war zone.
6.41am
Trump fuels concerns about ceding Ukraine land
By David Crowe
European leaders will meet Donald Trump at the White House on Monday in a show of unity with Ukraine in the troubled talks to end the war with Russia, after the US President sent another strong signal that Ukraine should cede territory to secure the peace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be joined by at least six other European leaders in the high-stakes talks in the hope of persuading Trump to wield sanctions and other penalties against Russia to enforce a peace deal on better terms for Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a ceasefire and wants a peace agreement that cements Moscow's control of large stretches of eastern and southern Ukraine.
Zelensky has rejected giving up territory and declared in Brussels on Sunday that his country's constitution did not allow him to do so, but he also signalled that the current front line should be the starting point for a negotiation.
6.37am
What's making news today
By Daniel Lo Surdo
Hello and welcome to the national news blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning.
Here's what is making news today:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be joined by at least six other European leaders when he meets US President Donald Trump at the White House later on Monday, after Trump held expansive talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war with Ukraine. Putin has called for a peace agreement that cements Moscow's control of large stretches of Ukraine, while Zelensky has dismissed giving up territory but signalled the current front line should be the starting point for negotiations.
Productivity Commission boss Danielle Wood has called for a war on red tape and bureaucracy ahead of the federal government's three-day economic roundtable this week, describing an avalanche of laws over recent years as 'regulatory hairballs' that have held back living standards. Wood will use a speech on Monday to argue that politicians have sought to over-regulate the country at the expense of economic growth and opportunities for Australians.
A Federal Court hearing on Monday will decide what penalty Qantas should pay for the illegal sacking of 1800 workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, following the court verdict in December. The Transport Workers Union seeks the maximum penalty of $121 million, while Qantas is seeking something in the range of $40 million to $80 million. The penalty will be in addition to the $120 million Qantas has agreed to pay in compensation to the illegally fired workers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SBS Australia
18 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
European leaders to join Zelenskyy at White House for Trump meeting
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . European leaders are preparing to join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a highly anticipated meeting with United States President Donald Trump. The UK, Italy, Finland and France will attend the meeting with Ukraine's President- in which an end to the war in Ukraine is expected to be discussed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who will also attend the meeting at the White House, says robust security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe will be key. "First, we must have strong security guarantees to protect both Ukraine and Europe's vital security interests. Ukraine must be able to uphold its sovereignty and its territorial integrity. There can be no limitations on Ukrainian armed forces." It's a position echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who says Europe is united in backing Ukraine. He says the outcome of the meeting cannot be one that rewards Russian President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine. FRENCH THEN ENGLISH VO "If we are weak today with Russia, we will be preparing the conflicts of tomorrow... So no weakness. Ultimately, what we are saying is that we want peace... But we want a robust peace, a peace that in no way can be a capitulation. A peace that in no way can be at the expense of the security of Europeans." It comes as Ukraine faces pressure from the United States to accept a peace deal, after Mr Trump's face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska ended without achieving a ceasefire. The US President emerged from the meeting more aligned with Moscow on seeking a peace deal instead of first establishing a ceasefire. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a lasting peace deal is the preferred outcome. "Who would be against the fact if tomorrow we came to you and said, we have a full peace deal and it's done, I think that's the best way to end the war. Now, whether there needs to be a ceasefire on the way there, well, we've advocated for that. Unfortunately, the Russians as of now have not agreed to that. But the ideal here, what we're aiming for here, is not a ceasefire. What we ultimately are aiming for is an end to this war.' While the talks were seen by some to have produced little movement in negotiations, Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, says the meeting made important progress on potential security guarantees for Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ruled out Ukraine becoming a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. But Mr Witkoff says the peace deal discussed with Russia could include guarantees similar to Article 5 of the alliance's charter, which obliges NATO members to defend a fellow member from attacks. "It means that the United States is potentially prepared to be able to give Article 5 security guarantees, but not from NATO, directly from the United States and other European countries. That is big. I mean, really big.' Mr Macron says the substance of peace-deal security guarantees for Ukraine will be more important than whether they are given an Article 5-type label. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, meanwhile, says such a guarantee suggests the US is serious about finding a security deal that benefits Ukraine. GERMAN THEN ENGLISH VO: "I think it is a really great progress that America is prepared to give such security guarantees together with us Europeans, but the major work on a peace agreement, if there is no ceasefire now, the major work on such a peace agreement now lies ahead of all those involved and not behind us." Mr Zelenskyy has welcomed Trump administration's comments regarding a defence agreement, but says bolstering Ukraine's army must also be a part of any security guarantee. UKRAINIAN THEN ENGLISH VO:"A strong army is the only thing that can provide security guarantees. Only Ukraine can provide this. I believe that only Europe can provide funding for this army, and weapons for the army can be provided by our domestic production and European production, but there are some things that are in short supply and are only available in the United States of America." In a statement issued after the meeting with Mr Trump, Mr Putin said Russia would like to move on to resolving all issues by peaceful means. Sources briefed on Russia's thinking have told Reuters the US and Russian leaders discussed proposals for Russia to relinquish small pockets of occupied Ukraine, in exchange for Ukraine ceding a swathe of fortified land in the east, and freezing the front lines elsewhere. Top U-S officials have also hinted the fate of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region — which incorporates Donetsk and Luhansk, and which is already mostly under Russian control — may be on the line. Mr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has reiterated his reluctance to cede land to Russia. "Russia is still unsuccessful in Donetsk region. Putin has been unable to take it for 12 years and the constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible. Impossible to give up territory or trade land. Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia and the trilateral Ukraine, United States, Russia. So far, Russia gives no sign that trilateral will happen." The hope from European leaders is that their presence at the meeting will at the very least help Mr Zelenskyy avoid a repeat of his last meeting in Washington in February, which saw Trump and his vice president JD Vance give the Ukrainian leader a public dressing-down, accusing him of being ungrateful and disrespectful.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Barnaby Joyce warns ‘AI is coming' for clerical workers
Nationals maverick Barnaby Joyce is warning artificial intelligence is 'coming' for workers, and that those who work from home are most at risk. It comes as governments and businesses around the world scramble to figure out guardrails on AI while reaping its economic benefits. Decision makers flocking to Canberra for Labor's Economic Reform Roundtable have already flagged the challenge as a hot topic in the productivity-centric talks. Amid a flare up in debate over flexible employment arrangements, sparked by union demands for a four-day work week, Mr Joyce on Monday took aim at recent changes giving employees the right to ask to work from home. He said it was 'encouraging people not to employ people'. 'You can't just say you're going to work from home today or you won't have a job,' the former deputy prime minister told Seven. 'I think you've got to be careful. 'If your job is a keyboard, yourself and a computer, AI is coming.' He said if he were a clerical worker, he would 'be doing everything to keep your jobs because if people can prove they don't need to come to the office then (they) can prove (you) can be replaced by AI'. Asked if he had an idea how to protect jobs, Mr Joyce said he did not know if it was possible. But he did welcome the idea of getting more Australians into trades. 'They should because I can assure you from my accountancy days, electricians overwhelmingly earn more money than people who have graduated with arts degrees or junior degrees,' he said. 'Doctors can go and make good money, but AI won't be able to turn itself into a plumber or itself into an electrician or a chippy so trades are a place where you can sustain a good level of employment.' In a report released this month, the Productivity Commission warned against taking a 'heavy-handed' approach to AI regulation, saying to do so could stifle innovation and cause Australia to fall behind other countries. Instead, it recommended making existing regulations fit-for-purpose. That included plugging gaps around consumer protection, privacy, and copyright. The commission said AI-specific regulation should only be considered as a 'last resort' for specific use cases where existing laws were clearly insufficient to mitigate harms.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Zelenskiy can end war 'almost immediately', Trump says
US President Donald Trump is urging Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy to come to a negotiated settlement in the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict with Russia. "President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight," Trump said on his Truth Social platform and seemed to indicate that reclaiming Crimea and joining NATO are off the table for Ukraine. "No getting back Obama given NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!" European leaders say they will join Zelenskiy in the US, where he is due to meet with Trump in Washington on Monday. They are seeking to shore up Zelenskiy's position as the US president presses Ukraine to accept a quick peace deal to end Europe's deadliest war in 80 years. Trump is leaning on Zelenskiy to strike an agreement after he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week and emerged more aligned with Moscow on seeking a peace deal instead of a ceasefire first. It's expected Trump and Zelenskiy will have a bilateral meeting prior to the European leaders joining a larger conversation, according to a person briefed on the conversation. Sources briefed on Moscow's thinking told Reuters the US and Russian leaders have discussed proposals for Russia to relinquish tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine in exchange for Kyiv ceding a swathe of fortified land in the east and freezing the front lines elsewhere. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's envoy to international organisations in Vienna, said Russia agreed that any peace agreement on Ukraine must provide security guarantees to Kyiv. "Many leaders of #EU states emphasize that a future peace agreement should provide reliable security assurances or guarantees for Ukraine," Ulyanov said on social media platform X. "Russia agrees with that. But it has equal right to expect that Moscow will also get efficient security guarantees." Top Trump officials hinted that the fate of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region - which is already mostly under Russian control - was on the line, while some sort of defensive pact was also on the table. "We were able to win the following concession, that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection," Trump envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, suggesting this would be in lieu of Ukraine seeking NATO membership. He said it was "the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that." Article 5 of NATO's founding treaty enshrines the principle of collective defence, in which an attack on any member is considered an attack on all. That pledge may not be enough to sway Kyiv to sign over Donbas. Ukraine's borders were already meant to be guaranteed when Ukraine surrendered a nuclear arsenal in 1994, which proved to be little deterrent when Russia absorbed Crimea in 2014 and launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. The war has killed or wounded more than one million people. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a meeting of allies on Sunday to bolster Zelenskiy's hand, hoping in particular to lock down robust security guarantees for Ukraine that would include a US role. The Europeans are eager to help Zelenskiy avoid a repeat of his last Oval Office meeting in February when Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave the Ukrainian leader a public dressing-down, accusing him of being ungrateful and disrespectful. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also travel to Washington, as will Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who has played rounds of golf with Trump this year, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, an admirer of many Trump policies. A joint communique released by Britain, France and Germany after the meeting said their leaders were ready "to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased, and to help secure Ukraine's skies and seas and regenerate Ukraine's armed forces". Zelenskiy said on X there had been "clear support for Ukraine's independence and sovereignty" at the meeting. "Everyone agrees that borders must not be changed by force". He said any prospective security guarantees "must really be very practical, delivering protection on land, in the air, and at sea, and must be developed with Europe's participation." Rubio said both Russia and Ukraine would need to make concessions to reach a peace deal and security guarantees for Ukraine would be discussed on Monday. He also said there must be additional consequences for Russia if no deal was reached. Trump said on Friday Ukraine should make a deal to end the war because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not". After the Alaska summit, Trump phoned Zelenskiy and told him the Kremlin chief had offered to freeze most front lines if Ukraine ceded all of Donetsk, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand. US President Donald Trump is urging Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy to come to a negotiated settlement in the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict with Russia. "President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight," Trump said on his Truth Social platform and seemed to indicate that reclaiming Crimea and joining NATO are off the table for Ukraine. "No getting back Obama given NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!" European leaders say they will join Zelenskiy in the US, where he is due to meet with Trump in Washington on Monday. They are seeking to shore up Zelenskiy's position as the US president presses Ukraine to accept a quick peace deal to end Europe's deadliest war in 80 years. Trump is leaning on Zelenskiy to strike an agreement after he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week and emerged more aligned with Moscow on seeking a peace deal instead of a ceasefire first. It's expected Trump and Zelenskiy will have a bilateral meeting prior to the European leaders joining a larger conversation, according to a person briefed on the conversation. Sources briefed on Moscow's thinking told Reuters the US and Russian leaders have discussed proposals for Russia to relinquish tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine in exchange for Kyiv ceding a swathe of fortified land in the east and freezing the front lines elsewhere. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's envoy to international organisations in Vienna, said Russia agreed that any peace agreement on Ukraine must provide security guarantees to Kyiv. "Many leaders of #EU states emphasize that a future peace agreement should provide reliable security assurances or guarantees for Ukraine," Ulyanov said on social media platform X. "Russia agrees with that. But it has equal right to expect that Moscow will also get efficient security guarantees." Top Trump officials hinted that the fate of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region - which is already mostly under Russian control - was on the line, while some sort of defensive pact was also on the table. "We were able to win the following concession, that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection," Trump envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, suggesting this would be in lieu of Ukraine seeking NATO membership. He said it was "the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that." Article 5 of NATO's founding treaty enshrines the principle of collective defence, in which an attack on any member is considered an attack on all. That pledge may not be enough to sway Kyiv to sign over Donbas. Ukraine's borders were already meant to be guaranteed when Ukraine surrendered a nuclear arsenal in 1994, which proved to be little deterrent when Russia absorbed Crimea in 2014 and launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. The war has killed or wounded more than one million people. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a meeting of allies on Sunday to bolster Zelenskiy's hand, hoping in particular to lock down robust security guarantees for Ukraine that would include a US role. The Europeans are eager to help Zelenskiy avoid a repeat of his last Oval Office meeting in February when Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave the Ukrainian leader a public dressing-down, accusing him of being ungrateful and disrespectful. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also travel to Washington, as will Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who has played rounds of golf with Trump this year, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, an admirer of many Trump policies. A joint communique released by Britain, France and Germany after the meeting said their leaders were ready "to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased, and to help secure Ukraine's skies and seas and regenerate Ukraine's armed forces". Zelenskiy said on X there had been "clear support for Ukraine's independence and sovereignty" at the meeting. "Everyone agrees that borders must not be changed by force". He said any prospective security guarantees "must really be very practical, delivering protection on land, in the air, and at sea, and must be developed with Europe's participation." Rubio said both Russia and Ukraine would need to make concessions to reach a peace deal and security guarantees for Ukraine would be discussed on Monday. He also said there must be additional consequences for Russia if no deal was reached. Trump said on Friday Ukraine should make a deal to end the war because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not". After the Alaska summit, Trump phoned Zelenskiy and told him the Kremlin chief had offered to freeze most front lines if Ukraine ceded all of Donetsk, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand. US President Donald Trump is urging Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy to come to a negotiated settlement in the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict with Russia. "President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight," Trump said on his Truth Social platform and seemed to indicate that reclaiming Crimea and joining NATO are off the table for Ukraine. "No getting back Obama given NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!" European leaders say they will join Zelenskiy in the US, where he is due to meet with Trump in Washington on Monday. They are seeking to shore up Zelenskiy's position as the US president presses Ukraine to accept a quick peace deal to end Europe's deadliest war in 80 years. Trump is leaning on Zelenskiy to strike an agreement after he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week and emerged more aligned with Moscow on seeking a peace deal instead of a ceasefire first. It's expected Trump and Zelenskiy will have a bilateral meeting prior to the European leaders joining a larger conversation, according to a person briefed on the conversation. Sources briefed on Moscow's thinking told Reuters the US and Russian leaders have discussed proposals for Russia to relinquish tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine in exchange for Kyiv ceding a swathe of fortified land in the east and freezing the front lines elsewhere. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's envoy to international organisations in Vienna, said Russia agreed that any peace agreement on Ukraine must provide security guarantees to Kyiv. "Many leaders of #EU states emphasize that a future peace agreement should provide reliable security assurances or guarantees for Ukraine," Ulyanov said on social media platform X. "Russia agrees with that. But it has equal right to expect that Moscow will also get efficient security guarantees." Top Trump officials hinted that the fate of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region - which is already mostly under Russian control - was on the line, while some sort of defensive pact was also on the table. "We were able to win the following concession, that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection," Trump envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, suggesting this would be in lieu of Ukraine seeking NATO membership. He said it was "the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that." Article 5 of NATO's founding treaty enshrines the principle of collective defence, in which an attack on any member is considered an attack on all. That pledge may not be enough to sway Kyiv to sign over Donbas. Ukraine's borders were already meant to be guaranteed when Ukraine surrendered a nuclear arsenal in 1994, which proved to be little deterrent when Russia absorbed Crimea in 2014 and launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. The war has killed or wounded more than one million people. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a meeting of allies on Sunday to bolster Zelenskiy's hand, hoping in particular to lock down robust security guarantees for Ukraine that would include a US role. The Europeans are eager to help Zelenskiy avoid a repeat of his last Oval Office meeting in February when Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave the Ukrainian leader a public dressing-down, accusing him of being ungrateful and disrespectful. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also travel to Washington, as will Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who has played rounds of golf with Trump this year, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, an admirer of many Trump policies. A joint communique released by Britain, France and Germany after the meeting said their leaders were ready "to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased, and to help secure Ukraine's skies and seas and regenerate Ukraine's armed forces". Zelenskiy said on X there had been "clear support for Ukraine's independence and sovereignty" at the meeting. "Everyone agrees that borders must not be changed by force". He said any prospective security guarantees "must really be very practical, delivering protection on land, in the air, and at sea, and must be developed with Europe's participation." Rubio said both Russia and Ukraine would need to make concessions to reach a peace deal and security guarantees for Ukraine would be discussed on Monday. He also said there must be additional consequences for Russia if no deal was reached. Trump said on Friday Ukraine should make a deal to end the war because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not". After the Alaska summit, Trump phoned Zelenskiy and told him the Kremlin chief had offered to freeze most front lines if Ukraine ceded all of Donetsk, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand. US President Donald Trump is urging Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy to come to a negotiated settlement in the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict with Russia. "President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight," Trump said on his Truth Social platform and seemed to indicate that reclaiming Crimea and joining NATO are off the table for Ukraine. "No getting back Obama given NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!" European leaders say they will join Zelenskiy in the US, where he is due to meet with Trump in Washington on Monday. They are seeking to shore up Zelenskiy's position as the US president presses Ukraine to accept a quick peace deal to end Europe's deadliest war in 80 years. Trump is leaning on Zelenskiy to strike an agreement after he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week and emerged more aligned with Moscow on seeking a peace deal instead of a ceasefire first. It's expected Trump and Zelenskiy will have a bilateral meeting prior to the European leaders joining a larger conversation, according to a person briefed on the conversation. Sources briefed on Moscow's thinking told Reuters the US and Russian leaders have discussed proposals for Russia to relinquish tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine in exchange for Kyiv ceding a swathe of fortified land in the east and freezing the front lines elsewhere. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's envoy to international organisations in Vienna, said Russia agreed that any peace agreement on Ukraine must provide security guarantees to Kyiv. "Many leaders of #EU states emphasize that a future peace agreement should provide reliable security assurances or guarantees for Ukraine," Ulyanov said on social media platform X. "Russia agrees with that. But it has equal right to expect that Moscow will also get efficient security guarantees." Top Trump officials hinted that the fate of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region - which is already mostly under Russian control - was on the line, while some sort of defensive pact was also on the table. "We were able to win the following concession, that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection," Trump envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, suggesting this would be in lieu of Ukraine seeking NATO membership. He said it was "the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that." Article 5 of NATO's founding treaty enshrines the principle of collective defence, in which an attack on any member is considered an attack on all. That pledge may not be enough to sway Kyiv to sign over Donbas. Ukraine's borders were already meant to be guaranteed when Ukraine surrendered a nuclear arsenal in 1994, which proved to be little deterrent when Russia absorbed Crimea in 2014 and launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. The war has killed or wounded more than one million people. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a meeting of allies on Sunday to bolster Zelenskiy's hand, hoping in particular to lock down robust security guarantees for Ukraine that would include a US role. The Europeans are eager to help Zelenskiy avoid a repeat of his last Oval Office meeting in February when Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave the Ukrainian leader a public dressing-down, accusing him of being ungrateful and disrespectful. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also travel to Washington, as will Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who has played rounds of golf with Trump this year, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, an admirer of many Trump policies. A joint communique released by Britain, France and Germany after the meeting said their leaders were ready "to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased, and to help secure Ukraine's skies and seas and regenerate Ukraine's armed forces". Zelenskiy said on X there had been "clear support for Ukraine's independence and sovereignty" at the meeting. "Everyone agrees that borders must not be changed by force". He said any prospective security guarantees "must really be very practical, delivering protection on land, in the air, and at sea, and must be developed with Europe's participation." Rubio said both Russia and Ukraine would need to make concessions to reach a peace deal and security guarantees for Ukraine would be discussed on Monday. He also said there must be additional consequences for Russia if no deal was reached. Trump said on Friday Ukraine should make a deal to end the war because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not". After the Alaska summit, Trump phoned Zelenskiy and told him the Kremlin chief had offered to freeze most front lines if Ukraine ceded all of Donetsk, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand.
