Putin rides in ‘The Beast' with Trump ahead of high-stakes Alaska talks
Ahead of a meeting with Russian President Putin, US President Donald Trump has stated his primary goal is to achieve a rapid ceasefire in Ukraine. "I want to see a ceasefire rapidly. I don't know if it's going to be today, but I'm not going to be happy if it's not today," Trump said, emphasizing, "I'm in this to stop the killing." The statement comes as Russia continues its military operations, controlling nearly 20% of Ukraine's territory, specifically the strategic, Russian-speaking Donbas region. Russia views control over Donbas as critical for its hold on Crimea. The discussion occurs on August 15th, noted as the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Russia is fighting with support from nations like China and North Korea against Ukraine, which is backed by NATO's intelligence and military resources.
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Hindustan Times
18 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Hamas accepts 60-day Gaza ceasefire plan, says official; Israel yet to respond: Report
Hamas has accepted a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza without requesting amendments, a source from the group told AFP Monday, after a fresh diplomatic push to end more than 22 months of war. Displaced Palestinians make their way towards the site of a humanitarian aid airdrop at the Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip, (AFP) Mediators Egypt and Qatar, backed by the United States, have struggled to secure a lasting truce in the conflict, which has triggered a dire humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. But after receiving a new proposal from meditators, Hamas said it was ready for talks. "Hamas has delivered its response to the mediators, confirming that Hamas and the factions agreed to the new ceasefire proposal without requesting any amendments," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Israel has yet to respond. A Palestinian source familiar with the talks said mediators were "expected to announce that an agreement has been reached and set a date for the resumption of talks", adding guarantees were offered to ensure implementation and pursue a permanent solution. Another Palestinian official earlier said mediators had proposed an initial 60-day truce and hostage release in two batches. The proposal comes more than a week after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to expand the war into Gaza City and nearby refugee camps, which has sparked international outcry as well as domestic opposition. 'Confronted and destroyed' An Islamic Jihad source told AFP the plan envisaged a 60-day ceasefire "during which 10 Israeli hostages would be released alive, along with a number of bodies". Out of 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war, 49 are still held in Gaza including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The Islamic Jihad source said "the remaining captives would be released in a second phase", with negotiations for a broader settlement to follow. They added that "all factions are supportive" of the Egyptian and Qatari proposal. US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: "We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!!" "The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be." Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel "will agree to an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war". Meanwhile, in a now familiar scene in Gaza, AFP footage from the southern city of Khan Yunis showed crowds of mourners kneeling over the shrouded bodies of their loved ones who were killed seeking aid the day before. 'Beyond imagination' Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, visiting the Rafah border crossing with Gaza on Monday, said Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was visiting "to consolidate our existing common efforts in order to apply maximum pressure on the two sides to reach a deal as soon as possible". Alluding to the dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people living in the Gaza Strip, where UN agencies and aid groups have warned of famine, Abdelatty stressed the urgency of reaching an agreement. "The current situation on the ground is beyond imagination," he said. Egypt said on Monday it was willing to join a potential international force deployed to Gaza, but only if backed by a UN Security Council resolution and accompanied by a "political horizon". 'Deliberate' starvation On the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 11 people across the territory on Monday, including six killed by Israeli fire in the south. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it was "not aware of any casualties as a result of IDF fire" in the southern areas reported by the civil defence. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the Palestinian territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military. Rights group Amnesty International meanwhile accused Israel of enacting a "deliberate policy" of starvation in Gaza and "systematically destroying the health, well-being and social fabric of Palestinian life". Israel, while heavily restricting aid allowed into Gaza, has repeatedly rejected claims of deliberate starvation. Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed more than 62,004 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable.
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First Post
19 minutes ago
- First Post
Stationing troops in Ukraine would probably be too much for us: German foreign minister
Germany has expanded defence spending but continues to face recruitment and training shortfalls. Troop numbers have plateaued at about 182,000 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, May 28, 2025. (Photo: Annegret Hilse/Reuters) Germany can play a central role in crafting security guarantees for Ukraine but is unlikely to deploy troops there, the foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, has said. Berlin is already the only European contributor stationing a combat-ready brigade in Lithuania, and officials argue that adding a second permanent deployment in Ukraine would stretch the force beyond capacity. The debate over guarantees will be a core theme when Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets Donald Trump and European leaders in Washington on Monday. European capitals see credible, durable commitments as essential to any eventual peace framework between Kyiv and Moscow. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Important role' for Berlin Wadephul said Germany is ready to help shape a package with the United States and European partners, with Berlin playing an 'important role'. Officials point to military and technical assistance as likely pillars, alongside coordination with allies on the scope and conditions of any pledge. Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, told Fox News there was support for 'much more robust security guarantees' and for EU membership, floating an 'Article 5-like' formulation that evokes Nato's mutual defence clause. German troops off the table Germany has expanded defence spending but continues to face recruitment and training shortfalls. Troop numbers have plateaued at about 182,000. In April Berlin launched its first permanent foreign deployment since the second world war, a 5,000-strong armoured brigade in Lithuania to reinforce Nato's eastern flank. Wadephul said stationing forces in Ukraine as well would 'probably be too much', though he noted the defence minister, Boris Pistorius, would review options. Conservative chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is also travelling to Washington, has remained vague about a possible deployment, previously suggesting Germany could participate if the United States did so. Will 'Article 5-like' pledges be enough? It is unclear whether Zelenskyy would view a guarantee without troops on the ground as a sufficient deterrent, particularly given Trump's earlier scepticism about Nato's collective defence. German officials caution that any framework will require intricate coordination and time to define. 'The issue of security guarantees is highly complex,' a government spokesperson said, adding that the specifics would emerge only through a lengthy process.
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First Post
19 minutes ago
- First Post
‘Peace through strength': Zelenskyy warns Putin won't negotiate without pressure ahead of Trump talks
Ahead of his 'very serious' meeting with US President Donald Trump later today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia will only come to the negotiating table 'through strength' Ahead of his 'very serious' meeting with US President Donald Trump later today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia will only come to the negotiating table 'through strength.' Zelenskyy made the remarks after meeting with US envoy Keith Kellogg, highlighting the urgency of strengthening diplomatic and military coordination to push back against ongoing Russian aggression. 'When peace is discussed for one country in Europe, it means peace for all of Europe,' The Guardian quoted Zelenskyy as saying. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We are ready to continue working with maximum effort to end the war and to ensure reliable security. These are the key issues,' he added. The Ukrainian leader also addressed the latest round of Russian missile strikes, which he said targeted civilians in their sleep. 'Last night, Russian attacks on our cities continued – among those killed were two children, and dozens of people were wounded,' he said. Emphasising the united front between Ukraine, Europe, and the US, Zelenskyy added, 'We discussed the battlefield situation and our strong diplomatic capabilities – Ukraine's and all of Europe's together with America. Russia can only be forced into peace through strength, and President Trump has that strength. We have to do everything right to make peace happen.' Earlier, in a pointed message delivered ahead of their scheduled meeting in Washington on Monday, President Trump placed the responsibility on Zelenskyy to bring an end to the war with Russia. The move stood in sharp contrast to the warm reception Trump extended just days ago to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy, joined by several European leaders, is in Washington for high-stakes talks with Trump aimed at exploring potential solutions to the prolonged conflict. In a Truth Social post late Sunday night, Trump appeared to set the tone for Monday's meeting by outlining implicit conditions, hinting at a potentially tense exchange with his Ukrainian counterpart. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,' Trump wrote. 'Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!' Trump added. Zelenskyy put out his own message shortly thereafter, reiterating that 'we all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably' — and alluding to parameters of his own around territorial concessions and security guarantees. 'Peace must be lasting,' Zelenskyy wrote in a post to X. '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. Or when Ukraine was given so called 'security guarantees' in 1994, but they didn't work.' Trump reportedly said he believed Putin would agree to a deal if Ukraine handed over its easternmost Donbas region, including parts Russia doesn't control. Zelenskyy has previously warned doing so would mean Ukraine loses key defensive positions and would be more vulnerable to Russian attacks in the future. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
