On GPS: Jake Sullivan on the Trump-Putin summit
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Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Zelensky set to show up in ‘suit-style' for Oval Office meeting after Trump whined about his attire last time
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will wear a 'suit-style' jacket during his meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office — months after Trump made jokes about his attire during a White House meeting that descended into a shouting match. The White House reportedly asked Ukrainian officials if Zelensky would wear a suit ahead of Monday's meeting in D.C. with top European leaders and the US president, two sources told Axios. The high-stakes meeting comes months after Trump welcomed Zelensky into the West Wing and made jabs about his customary military-style attire, jokingly telling the press, 'he's all dressed up today.' Zelensky is set to wear the same black jacket he wore to a June NATO summit in the Netherlands, which sources described as being 'suit-style' but not a full suit. That summit marked the first time Zelensky had donned a business-style jacket since Russia launched its war on Ukraine in 2022 — and the fashion choice impressed Trump, according to the report. One Trump advisor jokingly told Axios that 'it would be a good sign for peace' if Zelensky dressed up on Monday, but added, 'We don't expect him to do it.' Another source added: 'It would be great if he wore a tie, but we don't expect him to.' During Zelensky's last White House visit, it was reportedly Vice President JD Vance who was more annoyed than Trump by the Ukrainian leader's understated fashion choices, particularly that he was without a tie, according to the report. Zelensky will not wear a tie on Monday, the sources added. Trump's irritation during Zelensky's last visit, which descended into a shouting match, was about more than just his fashion choices, and the US president's advisors say this time should go more smoothly. "They've traveled very, very far, both of them. Zelensky will not show him pictures of dead children and then act like it's somehow his fault. The president has learned to just sort of like, you know, file away any irritations and go forward,' a Trump advisor told Axios. Zelensky will also be joined by neighboring European leaders in a show of unity. The meeting is set to be held Monday at 3 p.m. EST, and comes after Trump met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Trump is now pushing Zelensky to strike a peace deal without Crimea and NATO membership instead of an immediate ceasefire – backing Moscow's position. During the meeting, Putin agreed to let the US and its European allies offer Ukrainian security guarantees, US envoy Steve Witkoff said. "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 Truth Social. "No getting back Obama given Crimea... and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!" At least 10 people were killed in Ukraine after Russia launched 144 drones and missiles overnight, Kyiv said, in an attack described by Mr Zelensky as 'demonstrative and cynical.'
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Starmer says allies must ‘get this right' ahead of crunch Ukraine talks
Sir Keir Starmer has said allies must 'make sure' there is 'fair' and 'just' peace in Ukraine as he travelled to Washington to support Volodymyr Zelensky in crunch talks with Donald Trump. The Prime Minister and other European leaders will seek to persuade the US president not to push for a settlement which rewards Vladimir Putin's aggression, but also secures 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. 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. 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. 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 Oval Office 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. Russia continued to carry out 'demonstrative and cynical' strikes ahead of the meeting, the Ukrainian leader said. Mr Zelensky posted on X: 'Putin will commit demonstrative killings to maintain pressure on Ukraine and Europe, as well as to humiliate diplomatic efforts. 'That is precisely why we are seeking assistance to put an end to the killings. That is why reliable security guarantees are required. That is why Russia should not be rewarded for its participation in this war.'
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The difference between a Ukraine ceasefire and peace deal explained - and why it matters
Experts believe a ceasefire is a crucial foundation of longer-lasting peace in Ukraine, but Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin appear eager to skip this step. After his meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, Donald Trump appeared to back away from his demand for a ceasefire in Ukraine before any further progress could be made. Following around two-and-a-half hours of talks, the US leader said a deal had not been reached, but gave some indication of what could happen next in a post on his Truth Social platform. "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," he said. His remarks appeared to be in line with the position of Moscow, which says it wants a full settlement, rather than a pause, and caused concern among Ukraine and its allies, "We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation," Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X. Meanwhile some international relations experts have expressed scepticism of a peace deal coming before a ceasefire, warning that this could be a "ploy" by Russia to continue the war. What is a ceasefire? Ceasefires are "designed to keep violence at bay for a designated period of time", according to the Better World Campaign, which works to build a stronger relationship between the US and the UN. They are "generally binding, but often fleeting", the organisation added, but "ideally create space for parties to negotiate potential solutions to conflict". Medecins San Frontieres said ceasefires "do not reflect a juridical end to the state of war", rather, they are a "military decision that responds to strategic objectives: gathering forces, evaluating the opponent's authority and chain of command, or carrying out negotiations". "There is always a risk that relief operations negotiated in the context of a cease-fire may be used as a 'bargaining chip' by the parties to the conflict, so as to obtain political or military compromises or to test the good faith of the adverse party or its ability to control its own troops or a given territory," it added. What is a peace deal? A peace treaty is a "legal agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, which formally ends a state of war between the two parties," the American Bar Association said. They are "often the culmination of international peace discussions, and seek permanent resolutions by establishing conditions for peace", it added. It is different to a surrender, "in which one party agrees to give up arms; or a ceasefire, in which parties agree to suspend hostilities temporarily", or an armistice agreement, "in which parties agree to stop hostilities, but do not agree to long term conditions for peace". The association also makes a distinction between a peace treaty and peace agreement, which are "often negotiated between warring parties within one nation". Why does it matter? Former US ambassador to Cape Verde, and senior fellow at the Fletcher School of Tufts University, Donald Heflin suggested that a ceasefire is a crucial step towards longer-lasting peace. Speaking to Yahoo News, he said skipping to a peace deal "will not work". "A permanent peace deal always involves a million details, and negotiations can take months or even years," he said. "On a ceasefire, you stop the killing, the two armies freeze in place. With a permanent deal, you must agree on what territory the two parties will each end up with, which is much more contentious. "A major pitfall is that while a permanent deal is being worked out, the killing continues. "This whole idea is a diplomatic ploy by the Russians. They look like they want peace, but in reality they have the military advantage, and want the war to continue." Paul B. Stares, director of the Centre for Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that understanding of how a ceasefire agreement could "ease security concerns of both parties" could "help facilitate an agreement when the moment is ripe". He said it should "serve as the foundation for a permanent and comprehensive settlement of the conflict". Unlike ceasefires, Stares said that peace treaties are "often difficult to achieve in the short term", despite Moscow and Washington appearing to be pushing to skip ahead to this final step. What could happen in Ukraine? The prospect of rushing towards a peace deal with no ceasefire first is causing great concern among Ukraine and European allies. In a post on X, Zelensky wrote: "We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation. "If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater – peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades." Serhiy Leshchenko, an adviser to president Zelensky, said: 'Our vision is a ceasefire first, and then everything else. 'If we negotiate before the ceasefire, it creates a big risk for Ukraine. If there is a ceasefire, it opens up space for diplomats.' Ukraine believes a ceasefire would force Putin to negotiate, and that attempting to skip this is a strategy to prolong the war, NPR reported. What happens next in Ukraine remains unclear, but Trump has indicated that he accepts at least some of Russia's demands, having said there will be "no going into Nato by Ukraine" as part of any peace deal. In a post on Truth Social, Trump also said there would be "no getting back" of the Crimean peninsula, although it remains to be seen what happens to the eastern Donbas region, which Russia is understood to be demanding. Zelensky is due to meet Trump in Washington on Monday (18 August), with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Finnish president Alexander Stubb and Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni also travelling to the US capital. In a meeting on Sunday, European leaders stressed that no discussions could take place without Kyiv's involvement and clear agreements to safeguard the rest of Ukraine's land. Some called for an immediate ceasefire, with Poland's foreign ministry saying: "You cannot negotiate peace under falling bombs." However, UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer appeared more open to Putin and Trump's strategy when asked if he wants a ceasefire back on the table. "We want to see an end to the killing," his official spokesman said. "If you can bring about an end to the killing and bring about a sustained peace in one go, then all the better.' Read more What time is Trump meeting Zelensky at the White House? (Yahoo News) Trump isn't fighting for peace in Ukraine, he's managing Russia's victory - and Europe is worried (The Independent) Keir Starmer Splits With Donald Trump On Whether Ukraine Should Be Allowed To Join Nato (HuffPost)
