Trump shifts ceasefire position ahead of Zelensky talks
Trump's comments indicate a dramatic shift in his position on how to end the war, having said only on Friday ahead of the summit that he wanted a ceasefire "rapidly".Ukraine's main demand has been a quick ceasefire before talks about a longer-term settlement, and Trump reportedly told European leaders beforehand that his goal for the summit was to obtain a ceasefire deal. Meanwhile, multiple news outlets reported on Saturday that Putin had presented an offer that involved Ukraine handing over complete control of its eastern Donetsk region, which is 70% occupied by Russia. In return, Russia would reportedly agree to front lines being frozen and other unspecified concessions were apparently offered.The US president, who has previously said any peace deal would involve "some swapping of territories", is said to have relayed the offer to Zelensky in a phone call following the summit. Just days ago, Ukraine's president ruled out ceding control of the Donbas, saying it could be used as a springboard for future Russian attacks. The BBC's US partner CBS has reported, citing diplomatic sources, that European diplomats were concerned Trump may try to pressure Zelensky on Monday into agreeing to deal terms he and Putin may have discussed at the summit. CBS quotes sources as saying that Trump told European leaders in a call after the summit that Putin would make "some concessions", but failed to specify what they were.
In an interview with Fox News following Friday's summit, Trump was asked what advice he has for the Ukrainian leader, to which he responded by saying "make a deal"."Russia's a very big power and they're not," he added.Trump had previously threatened "very severe consequences" if Putin did not agree to end the war, last month setting a deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire or face tough new sanctions, including secondary tariffs.Little was announced by way of an agreement by either president following Friday's summit, but Trump insisted progress had been made.On Saturday, Putin described the summit as "very useful" and said he had been able "set out our position" to Trump. "We had the opportunity, which we did, to talk about the genesis, about the causes of this crisis. It is the elimination of these root causes that should be the basis for settlement," the Russian president said.Meanwhile, the "coalition of the willing" - a group of countries that have pledged to strengthen support for Ukraine that includes the UK, France, and Germany - will hold a call on Sunday afternoon before Zelensky's visit to the White House on Monday.
A group of European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said "the next step must now be further talks including President Zelensky".The leaders said they were "ready to work" towards a trilateral summit with European support."We stand ready to uphold the pressure on Russia," they said, adding: "It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force."UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Trump's efforts to end the war, saying they had "brought us closer than ever before"."While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelenskyy. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him," he said.And in Kyiv, Ukrainians have described feeling "crushed" by the scenes from Alaska."I understand that for negotiations you shake hands, you can't just slap Putin in the face when he arrives. But this spectacle with the red carpet and the kneeling soldiers, it's terrible, it makes no sense," Serhii Orlyk, a 50-year-old veteran from the eastern Donetsk region said.
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