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Dubai Eye
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Dubai Eye
Zelenskyy heads to Berlin for online meeting with Trump, European leaders
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to Berlin on Wednesday for a German-hosted virtual meeting with Donald Trump and European leaders, two days before the US president meets Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Europe's leaders are trying to drive home the perils of selling out Kyiv's interests at the first US-Russia summit since 2021. Trump has said the Alaska talks will be a "feel-out" meeting as he pursues a ceasefire in Moscow's war on Ukraine, having said last week, to consternation in Kyiv and Europe, that any deal would involve "some swapping of territories". Zelenskyy will meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz before a video conference with the leaders of Germany, Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Poland and the European Union at 2 pm (1200 GMT), the hosts said. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will also attend. Trump and Vice President JD Vance will join the call at 3 pm (1300 GMT). EUROPE AND KYIV FEAR UNPREDICTABLE ALASKA DEAL The unpredictability of the summit in Alaska has fuelled Europeans' fears that the US and Russia could take far-reaching decisions over their heads and even seek to coerce Ukraine into an unfavourable deal. "We are focusing now to ensure that it does not happen - engaging with US partners and staying coordinated and united on the European side. Still a lot of time until Friday," said one senior official from Eastern Europe. European leaders, wary of angering Trump, have repeatedly said they welcome his efforts while stressing that there should be no deal about Ukraine - almost a fifth of which Russia has occupied - without Ukraine's participation. Trump's administration tempered expectations on Tuesday for major progress toward a ceasefire, calling his meeting with Putin in Alaska a "listening exercise". Trump's agreement last week to the summit with Putin was an abrupt shift after weeks of voicing frustration with Putin for resisting the US peace initiative. Trump said his envoy had made "great progress" at talks in Moscow. Half a dozen senior European officials told Reuters that they see a risk of a deal being struck that is unfavourable for Europe and Ukraine's security. They said European unity would be vital if that happened. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday the summit would be a "listening exercise" for Trump to hear what it would take to get to a deal. After the meeting with Trump, the "coalition of the willing", a group of countries working on plans to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, will also convene online. BATTLEFIELD PRESSURE MOUNTS ON UKRAINE A Gallup poll released last week found that 69 per cent of Ukrainians favour a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible. But polls also indicate Ukrainians do not want peace at any cost if that means crushing concessions. Ahead of the calls, Zelenskyy said it would be impossible for Kyiv to agree to a deal that would require it to withdraw its troops from the eastern Donbas region, a large swathe of which is already occupied by Russia. That, he told reporters on Tuesday, would deprive Ukraine of a vast defensive network in the region, easing the way for a Russian push deeper into Ukraine in the future. He said territorial issues could only be discussed once a ceasefire was in place and Ukraine had received security guarantees. Moscow's troops have recently ramped up pressure on the battlefield, tightening their stranglehold on the cities of Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Zelenskiy warns Trump that Putin likely 'bluffing'
US President Donald Trump has said Ukraine must be involved in talks about territory in any ceasefire deal with Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron says. The comments were the first indication of what came out of talks between Trump, European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, intended to shape Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Trump's insistence on involving Ukraine, if confirmed, could bring a measure of relief to Ukraine and its allies, who have feared that Trump and Putin could reach a deal that sells out their security interests and proposes to carve up Ukraine's territory. Trump and Putin are due to meet in Alaska on Friday for talks on how to end the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict. Trump has said both sides will have to swap land to end fighting that has cost tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions. On a day of intense diplomacy, Zelenskiy flew into Berlin for German-hosted virtual meetings with European leaders and then with Trump. Some European governments worry that a land swap could leave Russia with almost a fifth of Ukraine and embolden Putin to expand further west in the future. Participants in the call with Trump included leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland and Finland as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa. Zelenskiy said on Wednesday he hoped the Trump-Putin talks will centre on a ceasefire and he warned Trump that Putin was "bluffing" about his desire to end the war. "I told the US president and all our European colleagues that Putin is bluffing," he said at a joint briefing in Berlin with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. "He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front. Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine." Zelenskiy added that he wanted a three-leader meeting, saying no talks about Ukraine should exclude his country's representatives. Von der Leyen said that Europe, the United States and the NATO military alliance had strengthened their common ground for Ukraine. "We have had a very good call," the European Commission president wrote on X after attending a virtual meeting with Trump, European leaders and Zelenskiy. "Today Europe, the US and NATO have strengthened the common ground for Ukraine," von der Leyen said, adding that "we will remain in close coordination. Nobody wants peace more than us, a just and lasting peace". with DPA
West Australian
a day ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Zelenskiy warns Trump that Putin likely 'bluffing'
US President Donald Trump has said Ukraine must be involved in talks about territory in any ceasefire deal with Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron says. The comments were the first indication of what came out of talks between Trump, European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, intended to shape Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Trump's insistence on involving Ukraine, if confirmed, could bring a measure of relief to Ukraine and its allies, who have feared that Trump and Putin could reach a deal that sells out their security interests and proposes to carve up Ukraine's territory. Trump and Putin are due to meet in Alaska on Friday for talks on how to end the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict. Trump has said both sides will have to swap land to end fighting that has cost tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions. On a day of intense diplomacy, Zelenskiy flew into Berlin for German-hosted virtual meetings with European leaders and then with Trump. Some European governments worry that a land swap could leave Russia with almost a fifth of Ukraine and embolden Putin to expand further west in the future. Participants in the call with Trump included leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland and Finland as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa. Zelenskiy said on Wednesday he hoped the Trump-Putin talks will centre on a ceasefire and he warned Trump that Putin was "bluffing" about his desire to end the war. "I told the US president and all our European colleagues that Putin is bluffing," he said at a joint briefing in Berlin with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. "He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front. Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine." Zelenskiy added that he wanted a three-leader meeting, saying no talks about Ukraine should exclude his country's representatives. Von der Leyen said that Europe, the United States and the NATO military alliance had strengthened their common ground for Ukraine. "We have had a very good call," the European Commission president wrote on X after attending a virtual meeting with Trump, European leaders and Zelenskiy. "Today Europe, the US and NATO have strengthened the common ground for Ukraine," von der Leyen said, adding that "we will remain in close coordination. Nobody wants peace more than us, a just and lasting peace". with DPA
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Zelenskiy in Berlin for online meeting with Trump, European leaders
BERLIN/KYIV (Reuters) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Berlin on Wednesday for a German-hosted virtual meeting with Donald Trump and European leaders, two days before the US president meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Europe's leaders are trying to drive home the perils of selling out Kyiv's interests at the first US-Russia summit since 2021. Trump has said the Alaska talks will be a "feel-out" meeting as he pursues a ceasefire in Moscow's war on Ukraine, having said last week, to consternation in Kyiv and Europe, that any deal would involve "some swapping of territories." Zelenskiy shook hands with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz before disappearing into bilateral talks. The two men will take part in a video conference with the leaders of Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Poland and the European Union at 2 p.m., local time. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will also attend. Trump and Vice President JD Vance will join the call at 3 p.m. "Will be speaking to European Leaders in a short while. They are great people who want to see a deal done," Trump wrote on Truth Social. The unpredictability of the summit in Alaska has fuelled Europeans' fears that the US and Russia could take far-reaching decisions over their heads and even seek to coerce Ukraine into an unfavorable deal. "We are focusing now to ensure that it does not happen -- engaging with US partners and staying coordinated and united on the European side," said one senior official from Eastern Europe. Wary of angering Trump, European leaders have repeatedly said they welcome his efforts while stressing that there should be no deal about Ukraine -- almost a fifth of which Russia has occupied -- without Ukraine's participation. Trump's administration tempered expectations on Tuesday, telling reporters the summit would be a "listening exercise" for him to hear what it would take to get to a deal. Trump's agreement last week to the summit was an abrupt shift after weeks of voicing frustration with Putin for resisting the US peace initiative. Trump said his envoy had made "great progress" at talks in Moscow. Half a dozen senior European officials told Reuters that they see a risk of a deal being struck that is unfavorable for Europe and Ukraine's security. They said European unity would be vital if that happened. After the meeting with Trump, the "coalition of the willing," a group of countries working on plans to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, will also convene online. A Gallup poll released last week found that 69 percent of Ukrainians favor a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible. But polls also indicate Ukrainians do not want peace at any cost if that means crushing concessions. Ahead of the calls, Zelenskiy said it would be impossible for Kyiv to agree to a deal that would require it to withdraw its troops from the eastern Donbas region, a large swathe of which is already occupied by Russia. That, he told reporters on Tuesday, would deprive Ukraine of a vast defensive network in the region, easing the way for a Russian push deeper into Ukraine in the future. He said territorial issues could only be discussed once a ceasefire was in place and Ukraine had received security guarantees. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexei Fadeev said Moscow's stance had not changed since it was set out by Putin in June 2024. As preconditions for a ceasefire and the start of negotiations, the Kremlin leader had demanded that Ukraine withdraw its forces from four regions that Russia has claimed as its own but does not fully control, and formally renounce its plans to join NATO. Kyiv swiftly rejected the conditions as tantamount to surrender.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Zelenskiy heads to Berlin for online meeting with Trump, European leaders
President Zelenskiy engaged with European leaders and Donald Trump in a virtual meeting hosted by Germany, preceding Trump's scheduled discussions with Putin in Alaska. European nations are expressing concerns about the potential for unfavorable agreements regarding Ukraine's interests during the U.S.-Russia summit. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads EUROPE AND KYIV FEAR UNPREDICTABLE ALASKA DEAL Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads BATTLEFIELD PRESSURE MOUNTS ON UKRAINE Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy travelled to Berlin on Wednesday for a German-hosted virtual meeting with Donald Trump and European leaders, two days before the U.S. president meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in leaders are trying to drive home the perils of selling out Kyiv's interests at the first U.S.-Russia summit since has said the Alaska talks will be a "feel-out" meeting as he pursues a ceasefire in Moscow's war on Ukraine, having said last week, to consternation in Kyiv and Europe, that any deal would involve "some swapping of territories".Zelenskiy will meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz before a video conference with the leaders of Germany, Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Poland and the European Union at 2 p.m. (1200 GMT), the hosts said. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will also and Vice President JD Vance will join the call at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT).The unpredictability of the summit in Alaska has fuelled Europeans' fears that the U.S. and Russia could take far-reaching decisions over their heads and even seek to coerce Ukraine into an unfavourable deal."We are focusing now to ensure that it does not happen - engaging with U.S. partners and staying coordinated and united on the European side. Still a lot of time until Friday," said one senior official from Eastern leaders, wary of angering Trump, have repeatedly said they welcome his efforts while stressing that there should be no deal about Ukraine - almost a fifth of which Russia has occupied - without Ukraine's administration tempered expectations on Tuesday for major progress toward a ceasefire, calling his meeting with Putin in Alaska a "listening exercise".Trump's agreement last week to the summit with Putin was an abrupt shift after weeks of voicing frustration with Putin for resisting the U.S. peace initiative. Trump said his envoy had made "great progress" at talks in a dozen senior European officials told Reuters that they see a risk of a deal being struck that is unfavourable for Europe and Ukraine's security. They said European unity would be vital if that House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday the summit would be a "listening exercise" for Trump to hear what it would take to get to a the meeting with Trump, the "coalition of the willing", a group of countries working on plans to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, will also convene online.A Gallup poll released last week found that 69% of Ukrainians favour a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible. But polls also indicate Ukrainians do not want peace at any cost if that means crushing of the calls, Zelenskiy said it would be impossible for Kyiv to agree to a deal that would require it to withdraw its troops from the eastern Donbas region , a large swathe of which is already occupied by he told reporters on Tuesday, would deprive Ukraine of a vast defensive network in the region, easing the way for a Russian push deeper into Ukraine in the said territorial issues could only be discussed once a ceasefire was in place and Ukraine had received security troops have recently ramped up pressure on the battlefield, tightening their stranglehold on the cities of Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine.
