Six O'Clock News European Leaders Prepare to Accompany Zelensky to Washington
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Spectator
2 minutes ago
- Spectator
Donald Trump was on his best behaviour in his meeting with Zelensky
It was back to black for Volodymyr Zelensky. After the Trump White House asked whether he was going to wear a suit for his Oval Office meeting, the Ukrainian president showed up in a dark military-style jacket, pleasing his hosts to no end. Even Brian Glenn, boyfriend of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and reporter for Real America's Voice, who had dissed Zelensky in February, commended him on his habiliments, declaring 'you look fabulous in that suit.' Zelensky was pleased. So was Trump. In fact, Trump was on his best behaviour. After ranting earlier in the morning that he didn't need all the experts to tell him what to think and that Ukraine should essentially prostrate itself before Russia, he avoided any verbal fisticuffs with Zelensky or talk about exiting Nato. Instead, Trump breathed optimism about where the negotiations, which he hopes will secure him a coveted Nobel Peace Prize, were headed. 'I think it's going to be when, not if,' Trump said about a trilateral meeting between him, Putin and Zelensky. He may not have rolled out a red carpet for Zelensky when he arrived in Washington, as he did for Putin in Alaska, but he treated him with unwonted respect. According to Trump, 'I have a feeling you and president Putin are going to work something out. Ultimately, this is a decision that can only be made by president Zelensky and by the people of Ukraine working also together in agreement with president Putin. And I just think that very good things are going to come of it.' If the meeting with European leaders that took place later in the afternoon was anything to go by, Trump's eupeptic push for a peace deal is not meeting with overt resistance. Quite the contrary. Zelensky indicated that territorial concessions would be discussed should he meet Putin. It was clever of Zelensky to put the onus back on Putin rather than rejecting out-of-hand the prospect of land swaps. 'If we played this well, we could end this, and we have to end it,' Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte said. Indeed, he called Trump's offer of security guarantees for Ukraine a 'breakthrough.' What those guarantees would look like remains unclear. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who appears to have established a good working relationship with Trump, indicated that it was imperative to provide 'Article 5-like guarantees' to Ukraine. What this will amount to is an open question – Germany announced today that it was already overstretched with its stationing of a Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania and that it is unlikely to put any boots on the ground in Ukraine. But the biggest obstacle to a peace deal, of course, is whether Putin even wants one. 'President Putin wants to find an answer, too,' Trump said. Does he? So far, as he launches fresh fusillades of missiles and drones at Ukraine, the Russian tyrant appears to believe that he has more to benefit from continuing rather than halting the war that he, and he alone, launched in February 2022. For all the bonhomie that existed between him and Trump in Alaska, it may be replaced by a more adversarial relationship in coming weeks should Putin maintain his obduracy about reaching an actual deal.
Sky News
6 minutes ago
- Sky News
Donald Trump says Volodymyr Zelenskyy 'can end war with Russia if he wants to' - ahead of crucial White House meeting
Volodymyr Zelenskyy could "end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to", Donald Trump has said - ahead of crucial White House talks on the future of Ukraine. Mr Trump made the comment in a series of social media posts throwing forward to his meeting with the Ukrainian president, who will be supported by Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders. The allies are travelling to Washington DC with the aim of protecting Ukraine from having to concede key regions to Russia in exchange for peace, following the US president's high-profile meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. They will also be keen to avoid a repeat of Mr Zelenskyy 's last heated visit to the White House in February, which ended with the Ukrainian leader leaving early and later resulted in US aid to Ukraine being temporarily halted. 2:09 "President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight," Mr Trump shared on his own network, Truth Social, on Sunday. "Remember how it started," he added, before highlighting the annexation of Crimea. Describing today as a "big day" at the White House, he added: "Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!!." Sir Keir and six other political heavyweights will present a united front alongside Mr Zelenskyy, who is expecting to face calls to surrender full control of Donetsk and Luhansk - two mineral-rich regions where large areas are currently occupied by Russian troops. In September 2022, Moscow announced it was officially annexing them, alongside the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, in a move rejected and condemned as illegal by the West. Mr Putin would reportedly give up other territories held by his troops in exchange and agree to a "NATO-like" security guarantee preventing Ukraine from further incursion. At today's Oval Office encounter, Mr Zelenskyy will be joined by France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Friedrich Merz, Italy's Giorgia Meloni and Alexander Stubb, president of Finland, as well as head of NATO Mark Rutte and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and Sir Keir. They are set to arrive at midday (5pm UK time). Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy will hold a bilateral meeting first, before a multilateral meeting with the rest of the European leaders. In a message on X following the US president's comments, the Ukrainian leader expressed gratitude for the invitation and said everyone involved shares "a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably". However, he said peace "must be lasting", and added: "Ukrainians are fighting for their land, for their independence. Now, our soldiers have successes in Donetsk and Sumy regions. "I am confident that we will defend Ukraine, effectively guarantee security, and that our people will always be grateful to President Trump, everyone in America, and every partner and ally for their support and invaluable assistance. "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." What is the 'NATO-like' security guarantee? Following the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, the two leaders said they had agreed on some points but did not elaborate further. Speaking to CNN on Sunday, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said: "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." Article 5 is a core principle of the 32-member collective, which states that an armed attack against one or more of its members shall be considered an attack against all. It has only been invoked once, by the US, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Russia has repeatedly insisted that Ukraine cannot be allowed to join NATO and has dismissed the idea that NATO member forces could be peacekeepers under some sort of ceasefire deal. Mr Witkoff, who has held previous discussions with Mr Putin on ending the war, said Friday's summit was the first time he had heard the Russian leader agree to the suggestion of NATO-like protection - and called it "game-changing". In a post on X, Russian envoy Mikhail Ulyanov said Russia agrees a future peace agreement "should provide reliable security assurances or guarantees for Ukraine". But Moscow should also get efficient security guarantees, he added. "What the West has to offer? Apparently they haven't yet started to think about it. It is a mistake, which needs to be corrected." He also said efforts now should focus on the "main goal - the need to elaborate quickly an efficient long-term peace accord, not a questionable ceasefire which diverts attention". 7:27 No talk of ceasefire after summit Despite prior threats of severe sanctions for Russia should a ceasefire not be agreed during the talks in Alaska, there was no mention of this from Mr Trump afterwards. Instead, he said he wanted to focus on a long-term deal for peace. 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. At a news conference on Sunday, Ms von der Leyen said the aim was to "stop the killing", and suggested a ceasefire and a peace deal would have that same impact. Mr Trump has previously said today's meeting with Mr Zelenskyy could potentially pave the way for a three-way meeting with Mr Putin.
Times
31 minutes ago
- Times
Hamas agrees to release hostages under Gaza ceasefire proposal
Hamas said it had agreed to a new proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip with the release of hostages on Monday, as the Israeli military continues to plan for a military takeover of the territory. The latest deal proposed by mediators requires the Palestinian militant group to release ten living hostages — about half of those still held — and 18 dead hostages in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire with Israel. In return, Israel would withdraw its troops from north and central Gaza and allow more humanitarian aid to be delivered via the United Nations and the Red Crescent. 'Hamas and the factions agreed to the new ceasefire proposal without requesting any amendments,' a source for the militant group said, requesting anonymity. Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, addressed the reports in a video statement saying: 'You can get the impression of one thing — that Hamas is under immense pressure.' He appeared undeterred with his plans to expand Israel's operation in Gaza, adding that earlier in the day he had met the military's top brass to discuss the takeover of Gaza City and 'and the completion of our missions'. Egypt has taken a more prominent role in the talks in Cairo than in previous rounds, which were held in Qatar using American-backed proposals. The Egyptian government is said to be more focused on the logistical aspects of the truce, said to include a phased ceasefire with the eventual withdrawal of Israeli troops to a security border. Negotiations to secure even a temporary truce in the 22-month war have gathered pace since Netanyahu declared that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) would soon move to occupy Gaza City and most of the remaining territory, in a bid to finally eradicate Hamas. A displaced Palestinian leaves northern Gaza on Monday MAHMOUD ISSA/REUTERS Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, was expected to approve plans for a military takeover of the strip's main population centre by Tuesday, despite opposition from campaigners in Israel, including the families of hostages. Katz said that for the first time in weeks Hamas was 'willing to discuss a deal for the release of hostages, only because of its fear that we seriously intend to conquer Gaza City.' Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, the head of the IDF, presented the military's 'plan for the next stage of the war' on Sunday after visiting troops in Gaza. According to sources, the plan avoids moving troops inside the central refugee camps, where the hostages are thought to be held, but prepares for a 'long-term' seizure of the city that would further entrench Israel's occupation. Once Katz and the wider security cabinet sign off on the plan, the army is set to issue evacuation orders to residents via leaflets, statements and social media instructing residents to leave block by block and head south. Inside Gaza City, thousands of Palestinians have already fled the southern Zeitoun neighbourhood after relentless and intensified Israeli bombardment. Residents gathered on Monday to protest against the displacement in Zeitoun, with signs promising not to 'relinquish the north [of Gaza]', and 'we will not leave Gaza City.' The Palestinian Red Crescent, part of the Red Cross movement and the main provider of healthcare and emergency medical services in Gaza, has also said it would not leave, despite an order to evacuate the al-Quds hospital in Gaza City. AMIR LEVY/GETTY A large-scale demonstration against the proposed offensive was also held in Tel Aviv on Sunday. Many Israelis believe the army's entry into Gaza City endangers the remaining hostages and will pull Israeli soldiers into a heavily booby-trapped urban area where they will be vulnerable to guerrilla warfare tactics. The UN has condemned the plan and the forced displacement of a million Gazans, while several countries including the UK, France and Canada have moved to recognise a Palestinian state should Israel and Hamas fail to agree to a ceasefire. In response, Israel has threatened to close the French consulate in Jerusalem. Israel has also hardened its position in negotiations, insisting on a deal that will see the release of all the living hostages at once. It is a step away from the proposal put forward by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, which sought a staged exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. • Macron calls for UN peacekeepers to 'stabilise' Gaza Israel says it has full US backing for its war on Gaza. On Monday President Trump said that the remaining hostages will only be released 'when Hamas is confronted and destroyed'. Writing on his Truth Social site, he added: 'The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be.' Mike Huckabee, the US Ambassador to Israel, added that the administration is giving Israel free rein for its settlement expansion in the West Bank as the country is set to approve the construction of housing that will dissect land that Palestinians seek as part of a future state. 'Whether or not there should be massive development in E1 [the settlement plan] is a decision for the government of Israel to make,' Huckabee told Israeli Army Radio, — a position in direct contrast to countries who want to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN next month. 'It's incumbent on all of us to recognise that Israelis have a right to live in Israel.' Nearly 62,000 Palestinians have died according to the Hamas-run health ministry since the group started the war by killing 1,200 Israelis on October 7, 2023 and taking more than 200 hostages. Following reports that Hamas was ready to move forward with a version of the Witkoff proposal, which Israel had accepted last month, two of Israel's leading far right ministers spoke out against accepting a deal. Itamar Ben Gvir wrote on X that Netanyahu has 'no mandate' to agree to a partial deal and warned him not to surrender to Hamas. Bezalel Smotrich, who advanced plans to 'bury' a viable Palestinian state last week, said Israel must not stop its war under any circumstances. 'We fight only to win!,' he wrote back after Trump's tweet. 'The occupation of Gaza has put Hamas is under immense pressure, because it understands that it will be the end of them. Therefore, it is trying to stop that by returning to a partial deal. This is exactly why we must not give in and grant the enemy a lifeline. Continue to the end, to victory, and to bring back all the hostages in one fell swoop.' The Israeli military has largely relied on reservists to fight the war and its ranks are now fatigued and depleted after almost two years of fighting. Ultra-orthodox jews have refused to enlist, putting a heavy strain on the present reservists amid a shortage of soldiers.
