Witness History The Iran nuclear deal
Officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), it was agreed between Iran and a group of world powers known as the P5+1 – the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany, together with the EU.
The accord came after years of tension over Iran's alleged efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran insisted that its nuclear programme was entirely peaceful, but much of the international community did not believe that. Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme and facilitate international inspections, in return for economic sanctions relief.
Baroness Catherine Ashton, who was the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, tells Ben Henderson how the plan was achieved.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.
For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina's Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous 'tear down this wall' speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler's List; and Jacques Derrida, France's 'rock star' philosopher.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world's oldest languages.
(Photo: Baroness Catherine Ashton and Javad Mohammad Zarif, Iranian Foreign Minister, during nuclear negotiations in 2014. Credit: Dieter Nagl/AFP via Getty Images)
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Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump praises Zelensky's attire for White House meeting
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House today for the first time since an explosive row with Donald Trump in February. The US President is hosting European leaders at the White House today to discuss plans for an immediate ceasefire to end the Ukraine-Russia war . Zelensky will be joined by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italy's Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Germany's Friedrich Merz and more. The Ukrainian leader was kicked out of the White House in a previous meeting after a shouting match erupted between the two leaders during a press conference, leaving Zelensky to walk out of the West Wing and into his SUV prematurely . Amongst the fiery exchange, Brian Glenn, Chief White House Correspondent Real America's Voice, asked Zelensky: 'Why don't you wear a suit? You're at the highest level in this country's office and you refuse to wear a suit. Do you own a suit? 'A lot of Americans have problems, with you not respecting the dignity of this office.' Responding to the criticism at the time, the Ukrainian leader said he faced more pressing problems with the war in Europe. He added that he 'will wear a kostium (Ukrainian for 'suit') after this war will finish' and it would be 'maybe something like yours, maybe something better, maybe something cheaper'. In a sign of support towards Zelensky, before the meeting escalated into a tense war of words, Trump quickly came to his aid and defended the president's clothing. 'I do like your clothing by the way,' Trump said. 'I don't know if you two like each other, but I think he (Zelensky) is dressed beautifully.' However, reports suggested that Trump privately was irritated by Zelensky's attire. The Ukrainian leader has rarely been seen wearing anything other than casual combat clothes since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has even visited 10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace without a suit. Supporters of Zelensky have compared him to the UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who notably also refused to wear a suit during a visit to the White House in the midst of World War Two. However, Zelensky was seen today wearing a suit in a potential bid to please the US President ahead of the crucial talks. The European leaders traveling to Washington DC today are being dubbed Mr Zelensky's 'back-up' following the previous acrimonious visit to the White House. Ahead of today's meeting, Trump posted a series of angry social media posts, tearing into the 'fake news' media for calling the meeting a 'big loss '. 'Actually, it is a great honor for America!!!' he insisted. The president also defended his high-stakes meeting with Russian President Putin on Friday in Alaska, which ended without a ceasefire deal or rough framework for peace with Ukraine. He also sent supporters into a tailspin on Sunday after posting a one-word message 'bela' to his Truth Social without additional context. Tempers flared on all sides during February's Oval Office showdown. Trump threatened to abandon Ukraine completely if Zelensky did not agree to his peace terms. He also accused the Ukrainian leader of not being grateful. Zelensky showed Trump photos he brought of the devastation to his country, and argued he had thanked the American people. The yelling match was unlike anything ever seen publicly in the Oval Office. And it played out on TV screens across the world. 'You're gambling with World War III,' Trump bellowed Zelensky at one point. Both men were tense and on the defensive as they repeatedly tried to talk over one another. Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., seated to the side in the Oval Office , buried her face in her hands. After the heated meeting Trump announced he had asked Zelensky to leave . The row started when Trump was pressed on historic Russian domination of its neighbors and repositioning the U.S. toward Russia. 'If I didn't align myself with both of them, you'd never have a deal,' Trump explained. 'You want me to say really terrible things about Putin and then say: 'Hi, Vladimir. How are we doing on the deal? It doesn't work that way. I'm not aligned with anybody. I'm aligned with the United States of America.' Then Vice President JD Vance jumped in. 'I will respond to this. So look, for four years the United States of America, we had a president who stood up the press conferences and talked tough about Vladimir Putin, and then Putin invaded Ukraine and destroyed a significant chunk of the country,' said Vance. 'The path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy. Then a fight over history ensued, as Zelensky ran through Ukraine's 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea. After Zelensky mentioned 2015, Trump jumped in: 'I was not here.' 'But during 2014 till 2022 … people have been dying on the contact line. Then he brought up broken ceasefire and other agreements. 'What kind of diplomacy JD was speaking about?,' asked Zelensky. 'I'm talking about the kind of diplomacy that's going to end the destruction of your country, Mr. President, Mr. President, with respect. I think it's disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media,' Vance told Zelensky, whose country has been under siege since 2022, and who came to Washington to ink a deal that will give the U.S. access to its rare earth minerals.' 'Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems, you should be thanking the president,' Vance told him. Vance accused Zelensky of bringing in dignitaries to his country on 'a propaganda tour' 'Do you think that it's respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?' Vance berated him. Zelensky tried to respond, but that only angered Trump more. 'Don't tell us what we're going to feel, because you're in no position to dictate,' he said. 'You've allowed yourself to be in a very bad position,' Trump told Zelensky, after last week calling him a 'dictator' and blaming Ukraine for starting the war . Yelling with his face getting red, Trump intoned: 'You're not in a good position. You don't have the cards right now … You're gambling with the lives of millions of people. 'You're gambling with World War Three. You're gambling with World War Three, and what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country – this country that's backed to you far more than a lot of people say they should have. 'Have you said thank you once, this entire meeting,' Vance said next in the tag team pile-on. 'You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October,' Vance, said, characterizing Zelensky's trip to an ammunition factory. 'Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who's trying to save your country,' he demanded. 'You think that, if you will speak very loudly,' Zelensky tried to counter in his accented English. 'He's not speaking loudly,' Trump said. 'Your country is in big trouble.' 'I know,' Zelensky responded. 'You're not winning. You're not winning this,' Trump told him. Zelensky got a moment to try to counter, saying 'in our country, staying strong, from the very beginning of the war, we've been alone, and we are thankful.' Trump contradicted him, telling him he hadn't been alone. 'We gave you, through this stupid president, $350 billion we gave you military equipment,' he said, overstating the amount of military hardware. Trump said Zelensky's men are 'brave,' but then told him, 'If you didn't have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks.' 'It's going to be a very hard thing to do business like this,' Trump said. That brought Vance back to demanding thanks. 'Just say thank you,' Vance told him. 'I said it a lot of times,' Zelensky responded. Then Trump gave remarks indicating the blow-up was serving a purpose for him. 'I think it's good for the American people to see what's going on. I think it's very important. That's why I kept this going so long. You have to be thankful you don't have the cards. You're buried there. You people are dying. You're running low on soldiers,' Trump said. 'You're running low on soldiers. Listen, you're running low on soldiers. It would be a damn good thing. Then you tell us, 'I don't want a cease fire. I don't want a cease fire,' Trump said, delivering a mocking impression of his counterpart. 'I want to go, and I want this – look, you could get a ceasefire right now, I tell you, you take it so the bullets stop flying and your men stop getting killed.' 'Of course I want to stop the war. What I said to you – with guarantees,' Zelensky said. He has been pushing for security guarantees from the U.S. Shortly after the argument, Trump ended the public part of the meeting. 'This is going to be great television, I will say that,' he said. As press was being ushered out, President Trump reached over and patted Zelensky's shoulder.
South Wales Guardian
27 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Starmer says allies must ‘get this right' ahead of crunch Ukraine talks
The Prime Minister has arrived at the White House where he and other European leaders will seek to persuade the US president not to push for a settlement which rewards Vladimir Putin's aggression. They will also try to secure US security guarantees for any military peacekeeping force from the so-called 'coalition of the willing'. The meeting will come after Donald Trump suggested the Ukrainian president would have to accept there was 'no getting back' Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, and that Ukraine would not be allowed to join the Nato alliance. I'm on my way to Washington D.C. to meet @POTUS, @ZelenskyyUa and other leaders. Here's why: — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) August 18, 2025 In a video posted on X, Sir Keir said of the conflict: 'Everybody wants it to end, not least the Ukrainians. 'But we've got to get this right. We've got to make sure there is peace, that it is is lasting peace and that it is fair and that it is just. 'That's why I'm travelling to Washington with other European leaders to discuss this face to face with President Trump and President Zelensky, because it's in everyone's interests, it's in the UK's interests that we get this right.' The Prime Minister will be joined by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italy's leader Giorgia Meloni and Alexander Stubb, the president of Finland. Nato chief Mark Rutte and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen are also attending. In a message on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said President Zelensky 'can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight'. He said there would be 'no going into Nato by Ukraine' – keeping its neighbour out of the alliance and its mutual defence pact has been one of Russia's key aims. But Sir Keir, along with other Nato leaders, has said Ukraine is on an 'irreversible path' to membership of the security alliance. 'Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to the EU or Nato,' the Prime Minister's official spokesman said on Monday. Asked if Mr Trump could have a veto, the spokesman repeated that 'our position on Ukraine and Nato hasn't changed' and that Ukraine is on 'irreversible path' to membership. He said No 10 is working 'hand in glove' with Mr Trump on Ukraine, when asked if Sir Keir was confident the US leader would not try to veto membership. The security guarantees the US has signalled it is willing to provide will be an 'important aspect of the discussions' at the White House today, he said. Mr Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff has suggested that measures similar to Nato's Article 5 mutual defence provision could be offered by the US without Kyiv joining the alliance. This was a demonstrative and cynical Russian strike. They are aware that a meeting is taking place today in Washington that will address the end of the war. We will have a discussion with President Trump about key issues. Along with Ukraine, the leaders of the United Kingdom,… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 18, 2025 Mr Witkoff, who took part in the talks between Mr Trump and Russian president Mr Putin last week, said it 'was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that' and called it 'game-changing'. 'We were able to win the following concession: That the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in Nato,' Mr Witkoff told CNN. Mr Zelensky said any peace deal must be lasting 'not like it was years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our East – part of Donbas – and Putin simply used it as a springboard for a new attack'. He said: 'Russia must end this war, which it itself started. And I hope that our joint strength with America, with our European friends, will force Russia into a real peace.' Mr Trump has appeared to drop his calls for a ceasefire after a summit in Alaska with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin has long refused to agree to a ceasefire as a precondition for talks to end the war, prompting fears that Russia could continue gaining ground in Ukraine as negotiations take place. No 10 appeared to suggest that Sir Keir could back a peace deal without a ceasefire. 'We want to see an end to the killing. If you can bring about an end to the killing and bring about a sustained peace in one go, then all the better,' his spokesman said. But Ukraine must determine whether it wants to cede land to secure a deal, he said, stressing that 'international borders must not be changed by force'. At the White House, Mr Zelensky is expecting to face calls from the US president to concede to full Russian control of Donetsk and Luhansk, two mineral-rich regions of Ukraine that are mostly occupied by Vladimir Putin's forces. Our main goal is a reliable and lasting peace for Ukraine and for the whole of Europe. And it is important that the momentum of all our meetings lead to precisely this result. We understand that we shouldn't expect Putin to voluntarily abandon aggression and new attempts at… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 18, 2025 In exchange for these demands, the Russian president would reportedly withdraw his forces from other areas of Ukraine and accept the Nato-like guarantee designed to prevent him launching further incursions. Ahead of their Washington encounter, the allies are likely to be mindful of the previous occasion Mr Zelensky visited Mr Trump in the White House. February's public spat, which saw US vice-president JD Vance accuse Mr Zelensky of not being thankful enough to the US, resulted in American aid to Ukraine being temporarily halted. Mr Trump will again host Mr Zelensky in the Oval Office before a separate meeting with the European leaders in the White House's East Room. Russia continued to carry out 'demonstrative and cynical' strikes ahead of the meeting, the Ukrainian leader said. Mr Zelensky posted a video on X showing him embracing Sir Keir and several other European leaders, and wrote that he had spent time with them on Monday in the US, where they 'coordinated' their positions. 'We understand that we shouldn't expect Putin to voluntarily abandon aggression and new attempts at conquest,' Mr Zelensky said. 'That is why pressure must work, and it must be joint pressure – from the United States and Europe, and from everyone in the world who respects the right to life and the international order. 'We must stop the killings, and I thank our partners who are working toward this and ultimately toward a reliable and dignified peace.'
Rhyl Journal
27 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Starmer says allies must ‘get this right' ahead of crunch Ukraine talks
The Prime Minister has arrived at the White House where he and other European leaders will seek to persuade the US president not to push for a settlement which rewards Vladimir Putin's aggression. They will also try to secure US security guarantees for any military peacekeeping force from the so-called 'coalition of the willing'. The meeting will come after Donald Trump suggested the Ukrainian president would have to accept there was 'no getting back' Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, and that Ukraine would not be allowed to join the Nato alliance. I'm on my way to Washington D.C. to meet @POTUS, @ZelenskyyUa and other leaders. Here's why: — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) August 18, 2025 In a video posted on X, Sir Keir said of the conflict: 'Everybody wants it to end, not least the Ukrainians. 'But we've got to get this right. We've got to make sure there is peace, that it is is lasting peace and that it is fair and that it is just. 'That's why I'm travelling to Washington with other European leaders to discuss this face to face with President Trump and President Zelensky, because it's in everyone's interests, it's in the UK's interests that we get this right.' The Prime Minister will be joined by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italy's leader Giorgia Meloni and Alexander Stubb, the president of Finland. Nato chief Mark Rutte and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen are also attending. In a message on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said President Zelensky 'can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight'. He said there would be 'no going into Nato by Ukraine' – keeping its neighbour out of the alliance and its mutual defence pact has been one of Russia's key aims. But Sir Keir, along with other Nato leaders, has said Ukraine is on an 'irreversible path' to membership of the security alliance. 'Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to the EU or Nato,' the Prime Minister's official spokesman said on Monday. Asked if Mr Trump could have a veto, the spokesman repeated that 'our position on Ukraine and Nato hasn't changed' and that Ukraine is on 'irreversible path' to membership. He said No 10 is working 'hand in glove' with Mr Trump on Ukraine, when asked if Sir Keir was confident the US leader would not try to veto membership. The security guarantees the US has signalled it is willing to provide will be an 'important aspect of the discussions' at the White House today, he said. Mr Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff has suggested that measures similar to Nato's Article 5 mutual defence provision could be offered by the US without Kyiv joining the alliance. This was a demonstrative and cynical Russian strike. They are aware that a meeting is taking place today in Washington that will address the end of the war. We will have a discussion with President Trump about key issues. Along with Ukraine, the leaders of the United Kingdom,… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 18, 2025 Mr Witkoff, who took part in the talks between Mr Trump and Russian president Mr Putin last week, said it 'was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that' and called it 'game-changing'. 'We were able to win the following concession: That the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in Nato,' Mr Witkoff told CNN. Mr Zelensky said any peace deal must be lasting 'not like it was years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our East – part of Donbas – and Putin simply used it as a springboard for a new attack'. He said: 'Russia must end this war, which it itself started. And I hope that our joint strength with America, with our European friends, will force Russia into a real peace.' Mr Trump has appeared to drop his calls for a ceasefire after a summit in Alaska with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin has long refused to agree to a ceasefire as a precondition for talks to end the war, prompting fears that Russia could continue gaining ground in Ukraine as negotiations take place. No 10 appeared to suggest that Sir Keir could back a peace deal without a ceasefire. 'We want to see an end to the killing. If you can bring about an end to the killing and bring about a sustained peace in one go, then all the better,' his spokesman said. But Ukraine must determine whether it wants to cede land to secure a deal, he said, stressing that 'international borders must not be changed by force'. At the White House, Mr Zelensky is expecting to face calls from the US president to concede to full Russian control of Donetsk and Luhansk, two mineral-rich regions of Ukraine that are mostly occupied by Vladimir Putin's forces. Our main goal is a reliable and lasting peace for Ukraine and for the whole of Europe. And it is important that the momentum of all our meetings lead to precisely this result. We understand that we shouldn't expect Putin to voluntarily abandon aggression and new attempts at… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 18, 2025 In exchange for these demands, the Russian president would reportedly withdraw his forces from other areas of Ukraine and accept the Nato-like guarantee designed to prevent him launching further incursions. Ahead of their Washington encounter, the allies are likely to be mindful of the previous occasion Mr Zelensky visited Mr Trump in the White House. February's public spat, which saw US vice-president JD Vance accuse Mr Zelensky of not being thankful enough to the US, resulted in American aid to Ukraine being temporarily halted. Mr Trump will again host Mr Zelensky in the Oval Office before a separate meeting with the European leaders in the White House's East Room. Russia continued to carry out 'demonstrative and cynical' strikes ahead of the meeting, the Ukrainian leader said. Mr Zelensky posted a video on X showing him embracing Sir Keir and several other European leaders, and wrote that he had spent time with them on Monday in the US, where they 'coordinated' their positions. 'We understand that we shouldn't expect Putin to voluntarily abandon aggression and new attempts at conquest,' Mr Zelensky said. 'That is why pressure must work, and it must be joint pressure – from the United States and Europe, and from everyone in the world who respects the right to life and the international order. 'We must stop the killings, and I thank our partners who are working toward this and ultimately toward a reliable and dignified peace.'
