Latest news with #RussoUkrainianWar
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump tells German leader WWII defeat ‘was not a pleasant day for you' as chancellor is forced to school him on Nazis
A meeting between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Frederich Merz took an awkward turn on Thursday when Trump suggested that Germans would not view the anniversary of D-Day favorably because the U.S.-led invasion of Europe was carried out against the Third Reich. Sitting in the Oval Office, Merz and Trump were discussing the death toll from Russia's three-year-old war against Ukraine, the bloodiest conflict in Europe since the end of the Second World War, when Merz noted that tomorrow marks the 81st anniversary of Operation Overlord, the allied amphibious assault on Nazi Germany that began with American, British, Canadian and Free French troops storming the beaches of Normandy in France. Merz told Trump he wanted to discuss how to bring the current Russo-Ukrainian conflict to an end. 'I'm here, Mr. President, to talk with you later on on how we could contribute to that goal. And we all are looking for measures and for instruments to bring this terror war to an end. And may I remind you that we are having June 6 tomorrow. This is D-Day anniversary when the Americans once ended a war in Europe,' he said. At that point, the American leader interjected, asking Merz: 'That was not a pleasant day for you?' The chancellor began to reply that it was 'not a pleasant day' before stopping himself and delivering a bit of a history lesson for his U.S. counterpart. 'In the long run, Mr. President, this was the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship,' he said. Merz continued by stating that Germans know what they owe to America for liberating their country from Nazis, telling Trump that the U.S. is 'again in a very strong position' to help end Russia's war by throwing steadfast support to Ukraine's defensive efforts. 'We know what we owe you, but this is the reason why I'm saying that America is again, in a very strong position to do something on this war and ending this war. So let's talk about what we can do jointly, and we are ready to do what we can,' he said. The bizarre moment was not even the first example of questionable historical references from Trump, who also attempted to crack a joke about Merz's efforts to push past decades of German pacifism to help bolster Ukraine's defense and jump-start his country's own arms industry. Asked whether Germany is doing enough to meet their commitments to NATO by spending a set percentage of GDP on defense needs, Trump replied that he knows Germany is now 'pending more money on defense now and quite a bit more money' and called the development 'a positive thing' before waxing on about the late American general Douglas MacArthur's views of Germany in the wake of two world wars. 'I'm not sure that General MacArthur would have said it's positive, you know, he wouldn't like it, but I sort of think it's good,' Trump said. 'He made a statement, never let Germany rearm. And I said, I always think about that. When he says, Sir, we're spending more money on defense, I say, Oh, is that a good thing or a bad thing? I think it's a good thing. But you know, at least to a certain point, there'll be a point where say, Please don't arm anymore. If you don't mind.' The president then, perhaps jokingly, suggested that the U.S. would be 'watching' Germany's re-armament efforts with skepticism. In what appeared to be a reversal from his first-term position, the American leader told reporters that the U.S. would be keeping the tens of thousands of troops based in Germany in that country, the site of some of America's largest European bases. Asked whether the U.S. would continue to base troops in Merz's country, he replied: 'The answer is yes.' 'We'll talk about that. But if they'd like to have them there, yeah,' he said. 'We have a lot of them, about 45,000 it's a lot of troops. It's a city,' Trump continued, adding that their presence is good for Germany's economy because they're 'highly paid' and 'spend a lot of money' there.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Poland believes Türkiye talks tested Russia's intentions
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski holds out little hope for a breakthrough in the Russo-Ukrainian war after talks between the delegations of the two nations took place in Türkiye on 16 May, though he believes that it was a test of Russia's intentions. Source: Sikorski in an interview with German newspaper Tagesspiegel, as reported by European Pravda Details: When asked to comment on the talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Türkiye, Sikorski noted that he was not very hopeful that they would "lead to a breakthrough". "But you never know," he said. "This is a test of Russia's intentions. If Russia doesn't agree to a ceasefire or makes outrageous demands, it will only confirm our view that Putin is not ready for peace." Sikorski also believes that Türkiye, which hosted the first Russo-Ukrainian talks since 2022, is playing a "very clever game". While supplying Kyiv with military aid, it simultaneously hosts "millions of Russian tourists". Background: On 16 May, talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations were held in Istanbul. Media reports indicated that Moscow had demanded the absence of US representatives from the negotiations with Ukraine and had presented a number of unacceptable conditions to Kyiv. Following the meeting, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umierov noted that the discussions had covered a ceasefire, humanitarian issues and the possibility of a leader-level meeting. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump likely not going to Türkiye after UAE visit
US President Donald Trump, who had earlier suggested he might visit Istanbul on 16 May, where talks between Russia and Ukraine are planned, has said that he will most likely not go to Türkiye and will come back to the US. Source: Sky News, citing a senior White House official Details: According to a Sky News source, Trump will not visit Türkiye after it became known that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will not attend the talks. However, speaking in the United Arab Emirates, which is the third and final stop of Trump's Middle East tour, he suggested that he will most likely head home next. Quote from Trump: "We'll be leaving tomorrow. It's almost 'destination unknown'. We're getting calls, 'could you be here? Could you be there?' But we're probably going back to Washington DC." Background: On 14 May, Putin approved the composition of the Russian delegation for talks with Ukraine in Türkiye on 15 May. Putin himself is not on the list. Earlier media reports had indicated that Trump would not travel to Türkiye either, although he had previously said he was "considering" visiting if Putin attended. On 15 May, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Türkiye for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Zelenskyy had earlier said he was ready to come to Istanbul if Putin arrived there. Trump also said he was willing to come to Istanbul on Friday 16 May for talks on the Russo-Ukrainian war. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump envoy Witkoff reveals key issues on potential Ukraine-Russia talks, control of occupied territories among them
US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has revealed what Ukraine and Russia will discuss if direct talks between them manage to take place. Source: Witkoff in an interview with Breitbart News, as reported by European Pravda Details: Witkoff stated that among the key unresolved issues in the Russo-Ukrainian war, which will be discussed if the parties sit down at the negotiating table, are the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and Ukraine's access to key waterways. Quote: "I think the major issues here are the regions, the nuclear plant, it's how the Ukrainians are able to use the Dnipro River and get out to the ocean. There are things here that I don't think are going to be difficult to solve if we get the parties to the table, they're talking to each other, we're narrowing issues between them, and then we're coming up with compromises and creative solutions to address each of their concerns." Details: Witkoff believes the United States has done "a lot to narrow the issues" and he identified "five regions" as the main obstacle. "The major sticking points are down to the five regions. Russia has control – overwhelming control – of two of those regions. The Ukrainians have some degree of control over three other regions, so it's about how we're going to assess – there's a difference between where the battle line are, where the troops are, and the administrative lines," he said. Witkoff also noted that talks with both sides are already taking place in an informal format and the United States is insisting on the earliest possible organisation of a direct meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations. Previously: On 17 April, Witkoff presented European officials in Paris aimed at ending the Russo-Ukrainian war. The proposal included the recognition of Russia's control over several Ukrainian territories currently under Moscow's occupation. A key component of the proposal is the de jure recognition by the United States of Russia's control over Crimea, as well as its de facto control over Luhansk Oblast and parts of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Kherson oblasts. Under the US plan, Ukraine would regain control over the occupied parts of Kharkiv Oblast, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the Kakhovka Dam. Ukraine would also gain control of the Kinburn Spit and unimpeded access to the Dnipro River. Background: In a nighttime statement on 11 May, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin did not mention a 30-day ceasefire but said he was ready for "direct talks" with Kyiv in Istanbul on Thursday 15 May. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is ready to speak personally with Putin on Thursday in Istanbul, after which Trump stated that he does not rule out a visit to Türkiye on 15 May. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's envoy Kellogg: 30-day ceasefire could mark beginning of end to Russia's war in Ukraine
US President Donald Trump's special envoy on Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, believes that a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire will begin the process of ending the Russo-Ukrainian war, the largest and longest in Europe since World War II. Source: Kellogg on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: "A comprehensive (air, land, sea, infrastructure) ceasefire for 30 days will start the process for ending the largest and longest war in Europe since World War II," Kellogg tweeted, referring to a post by Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. "As the US president has repeatedly said, stop the killing – now." Background: Sybiha noted in the post that, following a meeting of the coalition of the willing in Kyiv, all five leaders – Zelenskyy, France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Friedrich Merz, Poland's Donald Tusk and the UK's Keir Starmer – had a constructive phone conversation with US President Donald Trump regarding peace efforts. Following the summit on 10 May, the coalition of the willing demanded that Russia agree to an unconditional ceasefire for 30 days starting 12 May. European Pravda reported that the EU and the US plan to sharply tighten sanctions against Russia if Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin rejects the ceasefire. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
