Latest news with #Obama-given
Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Trump pressures Ukraine to drop NATO bid and Crimea claim ahead of White House peace talks
Donald Trump says Ukraine must give up on NATO membership and Crimea if it wants to end the war with Russia. The comments land as Volodymyr Zelensky arrives in Washington for talks with Trump and European leaders. Russian strikes continue to kill civilians while Europe pushes for security guarantees short of NATO entry. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads High-stakes talks in Washington Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Zelensky pushes back Russian strikes kill civilians Europe eyes security guarantees Tense US–Ukraine relationship Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Donald Trump has openly set conditions for Ukraine to make peace with Russia: no joining NATO, and no reclaiming Crimea. Writing on Truth Social, he said Ukraine 'can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to,' before declaring: 'No getting back Obama-given Crimea, and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE.'Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014. Trump's claim that it happened 'without a shot being fired' ignores the fact that Ukrainian troops were killed during the post followed Trump's summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where Moscow reportedly presented proposals for ending the landed in Washington late Sunday ahead of talks with Trump and a raft of European leaders including Britain's Keir Starmer, France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Friedrich Merz, Italy's Giorgia Meloni, and NATO chief Mark White House said the meetings will begin on Monday afternoon. Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul put it starkly: 'It is probably not an exaggeration to say the whole world is looking to Washington.'On arrival, Zelensky wrote: 'Russia must end this war — the war it started. We all equally want to end this war swiftly and reliably. And I hope that our shared strength with America and our European friends will compel Russia to real peace.'He rejected Moscow's demand that Ukraine give up the rest of Donetsk, where his forces still hold a quarter of the territory. Ukraine's constitution blocks any ceding of land, making Trump's suggested concessions politically impossible in diplomacy gathers pace, Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian cities. In Kharkiv, at least seven people, including two children, died after a drone strike destroyed an apartment block. 'They hit an ordinary apartment block… many families were living here,' said resident Olena Zaporizhzhia, three more civilians were killed. Ukraine's air force said it intercepted more than 140 drones and several missiles overnight. Zelensky called it a 'demonstrative and cynical Russian strike.'European leaders held a call with Zelensky on Sunday to coordinate ahead of Washington. Macron said their aim was to 'present a united front.'US envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN that Putin had agreed in principle to 'robust security guarantees' for Ukraine, likening them to NATO's Article 5 pledge, but outside the alliance itself. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was more cautious: 'We're still a long ways off.'Relations between Trump and Zelensky have been strained since Trump's return to the White House. Their first Oval Office meeting ended abruptly in February, with Trump accusing Zelensky of 'gambling with World War Three.'Still, Ukraine depends heavily on US weapons and intelligence. An April deal gave Washington a financial stake in Ukrainian minerals in exchange for military support. By July, both leaders had what Zelensky described as their 'best conversation yet.'From the Alaska summit, reports suggest Russia is willing to discuss prisoner swaps and limited concessions. But Putin still insists on control over Donetsk and Luhansk. Russian forces currently occupy nearly one-fifth of Ukraine, and offensives are battlefield pressure and Trump's demands, Zelensky insists peace must come from Russia halting its war — not Ukraine surrendering its sovereignty.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump pressures Ukraine to drop NATO bid and Crimea claim ahead of White House peace talks
Donald Trump has openly set conditions for Ukraine to make peace with Russia: no joining NATO, and no reclaiming Crimea. Writing on Truth Social, he said Ukraine 'can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to,' before declaring: 'No getting back Obama-given Crimea, and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE.' Independence Day 2025 Modi signals new push for tech independence with local chips Before Trump, British used tariffs to kill Indian textile Bank of Azad Hind: When Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose gave India its own currency Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014. Trump's claim that it happened 'without a shot being fired' ignores the fact that Ukrainian troops were killed during the takeover. The post followed Trump's summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where Moscow reportedly presented proposals for ending the conflict. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Sell Your Car in Tola Parbatia Cars24 - Sell Your Car Sell Now High-stakes talks in Washington Zelensky landed in Washington late Sunday ahead of talks with Trump and a raft of European leaders including Britain's Keir Starmer, France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Friedrich Merz, Italy's Giorgia Meloni, and NATO chief Mark Rutte. The White House said the meetings will begin on Monday afternoon. Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul put it starkly: 'It is probably not an exaggeration to say the whole world is looking to Washington.' Live Events Zelensky pushes back On arrival, Zelensky wrote: 'Russia must end this war — the war it started. We all equally want to end this war swiftly and reliably. And I hope that our shared strength with America and our European friends will compel Russia to real peace.' He rejected Moscow's demand that Ukraine give up the rest of Donetsk, where his forces still hold a quarter of the territory. Ukraine's constitution blocks any ceding of land, making Trump's suggested concessions politically impossible in Kyiv. Russian strikes kill civilians While diplomacy gathers pace, Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian cities. In Kharkiv, at least seven people, including two children, died after a drone strike destroyed an apartment block. 'They hit an ordinary apartment block… many families were living here,' said resident Olena Yakusheva. In Zaporizhzhia, three more civilians were killed. Ukraine's air force said it intercepted more than 140 drones and several missiles overnight. Zelensky called it a 'demonstrative and cynical Russian strike.' Europe eyes security guarantees European leaders held a call with Zelensky on Sunday to coordinate ahead of Washington. Macron said their aim was to 'present a united front.' US envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN that Putin had agreed in principle to 'robust security guarantees' for Ukraine, likening them to NATO's Article 5 pledge, but outside the alliance itself. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was more cautious: 'We're still a long ways off.' Tense US–Ukraine relationship Relations between Trump and Zelensky have been strained since Trump's return to the White House. Their first Oval Office meeting ended abruptly in February, with Trump accusing Zelensky of 'gambling with World War Three.' Still, Ukraine depends heavily on US weapons and intelligence. An April deal gave Washington a financial stake in Ukrainian minerals in exchange for military support. By July, both leaders had what Zelensky described as their 'best conversation yet.' From the Alaska summit, reports suggest Russia is willing to discuss prisoner swaps and limited concessions. But Putin still insists on control over Donetsk and Luhansk. Russian forces currently occupy nearly one-fifth of Ukraine, and offensives are ongoing. Despite battlefield pressure and Trump's demands, Zelensky insists peace must come from Russia halting its war — not Ukraine surrendering its sovereignty.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump to Zelenskyy: Abandon Nato hopes and Crimea before peace talks; Russia signals readiness to hand over 31 people even as war rages on
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Ukraine should give up on reclaiming Crimea and abandon its ambition to join Nato, as he prepared to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in Washington, according to Reuters. The talks are part of Trump's push for a peace deal with Russia to end the war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since February 2022. Trump's remarks came days after he hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where Moscow laid out conditions for halting the conflict. Writing on Truth Social, Trump said Zelenskyy 'can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,' adding, 'No getting back Obama-given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE.' Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014 during Barack Obama 's presidency. High-stakes meetings in Washington According to the White House, Trump will meet Zelenskyy at 1:15 pm EDT (10:45 pm IST, Monday) in the Oval Office before holding a joint session with leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and Nato at 3 pm EDT (12:30 am IST, Tuesday). European leaders are traveling to Washington to show solidarity with Ukraine and to push for firm security guarantees in any post-war settlement. Trump's aides said on Sunday that compromises would be required from both sides, but his comments placed the burden on Kyiv to end the conflict. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play this game for 1 minute and see why everyone is crazy about it Undo Relations between Washington and Kyiv, once extremely close, have been rocky since Trump's return to the White House in January, but Ukraine's urgent need for US weapons and intelligence has forced Zelenskyy to keep working with him. After arriving in Washington on Sunday night, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the invitation but reiterated Ukraine's stance. 'We all equally want to end this war swiftly and reliably. Russia must end this war -- the war it started. And I hope that our shared strength with America and with our European friends will compel Russia to real peace,' he said on Telegram. Zelenskyy rejects Moscow's proposals Kyiv has already dismissed the outline of Putin's Alaska proposals, which reportedly included Ukraine relinquishing the rest of the Donetsk region. Ukrainian forces currently control about a quarter of Donetsk and rely on its towns and hills as a defensive barrier, reported Reuters. Zelenskyy is pushing instead for an immediate ceasefire followed by detailed negotiations. Trump initially backed a ceasefire but shifted his position after his meeting with Putin, aligning more closely with Moscow's preference to negotiate while fighting continues. Russia steps up attacks, signals concessions As the diplomatic maneuvering unfolded, Russia launched missile and drone strikes on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city near the Russian border. Seven people, including two children, were killed in the overnight attacks, officials said. 'They hit an ordinary apartment block… many families were living here, small children, children's playground, residential compound,' said Olena Yakusheva, a local resident. 'We lived here peacefully in our homes.' On the battlefield, Russian troops continue to grind forward, leveraging their numerical and artillery advantages. Putin has signaled that Moscow is prepared to fight on until its objectives are met. At the same time, Russia has indicated limited concessions -- the RIA news agency reported on Monday that Moscow is ready to hand over 31 people to Ukraine. Europe seeks role in talks Concerned about being sidelined after the US-Russia talks in Alaska, European leaders held a call with Zelenskyy on Sunday to coordinate strategy. 'It's important for the Europeans to be there: (Trump) respects them, he behaves differently in their presence,' said Oleksandr Merezhko, a Ukrainian lawmaker. British and German media highlighted the stakes of Monday's meeting. The UK's Daily Mail called it 'D-Day at the White House,' while Die Welt in Germany termed it the 'moment of truth' for Trump. German foreign minister Johann Wadephul said, 'It is probably not an exaggeration to say the whole world is looking to Washington.'
Russia Today
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Zelensky could end conflict 'immediately'
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky could bring the fighting with Russia to a halt 'immediately' by agreeing to a settlement that rules out NATO membership and entails territorial concessions, US President Donald Trump has has been summoned to the White House for a meeting on Monday to discuss the potential peace proposal. According to reports, the plan could involve Kiev giving up its remaining positions in Donbass while freezing battle lines elsewhere in exchange for a halt to hostilities. Zelensky has previously rejected such 'can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social network on Sunday.'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!!!' he was referring to the events of 2014, when the administration of then-US President Barack Obama did not intervene after Crimea voted to reunite with Russia following a Western-backed coup in US president argues concessions may be needed for peace, but Zelensky insists Crimea and other regions remain Ukrainian and has rejected any compromise. The meeting comes shortly after Trump's talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, their first face-to-face encounter since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Both leaders voiced cautious optimism that discussions could help move toward a resolution of the hostilities between Moscow and has repeatedly stated that any settlement should see Ukraine abandoning its NATO ambitions, undergoing demilitarization and denazification, and recognizing the new territorial reality on the ground, including the status of Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions, all of which have voted to become parts of said any settlement must address Russia's concerns, adding that restoring a fair balance in Europe is essential for lasting Sunday, US special envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News that Washington and its European allies were considering offering security guarantees to Ukraine outside the framework of NATO.
