Latest news with #Ukrainian-backed
Local Germany
3 days ago
- Politics
- Local Germany
Germany's top diplomat seeks common stance with US on Ukraine
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who assumed his role this month as centre-right Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office, met in Washington with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "We, Germany and the United States, have a common position regarding Ukraine," Wadephul told reporters after the meeting. "We need to find a negotiated solution." US President Donald Trump took office vowing to end the war and blaming his predecessor Joe Biden for the invasion. But Trump has voiced growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has not accepted a Ukrainian-backed US proposal of a 30-day ceasefire. Wadephul said that Europeans were ready to "tighten the screws" on Russia and noted that sanctions bills are being prepared in the US Congress. "Both Europe and the United States are willing to draw consequences if this does not happen," he said of Russia coming to the negotiation table. Merz earlier Wednesday said that Germany will "do everything" to make sure that the damaged Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia does not resume deliveries of natural gas to Europe. The stance shows the sharp shift in Germany since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The last Christian Democratic chancellor, Angela Merkel, had rebuffed pressure from the United States and supported the pipeline, arguing that it not only provided energy to Europe's largest economy but incentivized Russia to work with Europe. Advertisement Merz has also voiced growing concern about Israel's offensive in Gaza, where aid has begun to enter in a heavily controlled trickle after a two-month blockade. The situation in Gaza has become "dramatically more precarious," Wadephul said. Germany and the United States have traditionally been among Israel's top supporters. Wadephul in Washington visited a makeshift memorial outside the Capital Jewish Museum where a gunman last week shot dead two Israeli embassy employees. Wadephul was visiting as Rubio celebrated his 54th birthday. As a gift, the German FM presented Rubio with a framed poster of a game played in Frankfurt by the sports-loving top US diplomat's hometown Miami Dolphins.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Germany's top diplomat seeks common stance with US on Ukraine
Germany's new top diplomat on Wednesday sought to stress unity with the United States on Ukraine, warning of further sanctions if Russia does not budge in stalled negotiations to end the war. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who assumed his role this month as center-right Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office, met in Washington with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "We, Germany and the United States, have a common position regarding Ukraine," Wadephul told reporters after the meeting. "We need to find a negotiated solution." US President Donald Trump took office vowing to end the war and blaming his predecessor Joe Biden for the invasion. But Trump has voiced growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has not accepted a Ukrainian-backed US proposal of a 30-day ceasefire. Wadephul said that Europeans were ready to "tighten the screws" on Russia and noted that sanctions bills are being prepared in the US Congress. "Both Europe and the United States are willing to draw consequences if this does not happen," he said of Russia coming to the negotiation table. Merz earlier Wednesday said that Germany will "do everything" to make sure that the damaged Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia does not resume deliveries of natural gas to Europe. The stance shows the sharp shift in Germany since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The last Christian Democratic chancellor, Angela Merkel, had rebuffed pressure from the United States and supported the pipeline, arguing that it not only provided energy to Europe's largest economy but incentivized Russia to work with Europe. Merz has also voiced growing concern about Israel's offensive in Gaza, where aid has begun to enter in a heavily controlled trickle after a two-month blockade. The situation in Gaza has become "dramatically more precarious," Wadephul said. Germany and the United States have traditionally been among Israel's top supporters. Wadephul in Washington visited a makeshift memorial outside the Capital Jewish Museum where a gunman last week shot dead two Israeli embassy employees. Wadephul was visiting as Rubio celebrated his 54th birthday. As a gift, the German FM presented Rubio with a framed poster of a game played in Frankfurt by the sports-loving top US diplomat's hometown Miami Dolphins. oer-sct/aha
Borneo Post
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
US threatens to quit Russia-Ukraine effort unless ‘concrete proposals'
Bruce said it would ultimately be up to Trump to decide whether to move ahead on diplomacy. – AFP photo WASHINGTON (April 30): Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Tuesday that the United States would give up on mediation unless Russia and Ukraine put forward 'concrete proposals,' as US patience wanes on an early priority for Donald Trump. The US president had vowed to end the war in his first 24 hours back in the White House but, as Trump celebrates 100 days in office, Rubio has suggested the administration could soon turn attention to other issues. 'We are now at a time where concrete proposals need to be delivered by the two parties on how to end this conflict,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters, in what she said was a message from Rubio. 'If there is not progress, we will step back as mediators in this process.' She said it would ultimately be up to Trump to decide whether to move ahead on diplomacy. The president suggested on Tuesday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin still wants to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine. Asked in an interview with ABC television if Putin wants peace, Trump said: 'I think he does.' Putin recently proposed a three-day ceasefire around Moscow's commemorations next week for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. But he has rebuffed a Ukrainian-backed US call for a 30-day ceasefire. The United States wants 'not a three-day moment so you can celebrate something else — a complete, durable ceasefire and an end to the conflict,' Bruce said. Means of pressure It remains unclear if Rubio is actually ready to turn the page or is seeking to pressure the two countries. The United States already put together a framework proposal which Ukrainians feel bows to Russian demands. Trump has suggested an official recognition of Russia's takeover in 2014 of Crimea, an annexation rejected by nearly all the world, in addition to land swaps. 'We all want this war to end in a fair way — with no rewards for Putin, especially no land,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told an event in Poland by videoconference on Tuesday. Russia has also not moved on the proposal with many experts believing Moscow now sees an upper hand — on the battlefield and diplomatically, with Trump eager to reconcile. Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, sought to blame Zelensky and said that Russia would keep speaking with the United States. Zelensky 'is bent on escalating the conflict. He's recklessly rejecting the United States' balanced peace proposals,' Nebenzia told a UN Security Council meeting. US diplomat John Kelley told the session that both sides would benefit from working off the US framework and condemned Russian strikes into Ukraine. 'Right now, Russia has a great opportunity to achieve a durable peace,' Kelley said. Trump, criticising his predecessor Joe Biden for shunning Putin over the February 2022 invasion, reached out by telephone to the Russian leader and has sent his business friend turned globe-trotting ambassador Steve Witkoff to see him. Trump in turn berated Zelensky in a February 28 White House meeting. He and Vice President JD Vance accused the wartime leader of ingratitude for US weapons sent under Biden. Ukraine quickly tried to make amends by backing US diplomatic efforts and pursuing a deal in which the United States would control much of the country's mineral wealth. 'Fatally mismanaged' talks US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Tuesday that recognising 'Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea would invite additional aggression from Moscow and Beijing.' 'I have endeavored to give President Trump the space to negotiate a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, which is a goal we both share,' she said. 'However, President Trump and his team have fatally mismanaged these negotiations — offering concession after concession to Russia, throwing away our leverage and fracturing the united front with our allies that is critical to ending this war,' she said. Ukraine ordered on Tuesday the evacuation of seven villages in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region which used to be remote from the frontlines but are now under threat as Russian forces close in. Last week a ballistic missile ripped into a residential area of Kyiv in one of the deadliest attacks on the capital since the invasion. Trump, who has claimed that Putin would not have attacked Ukraine if he were in power in 2022, wrote, 'Vladimir, STOP,' on social media after the attack. – AFP donald trump Russia Tammy Bruce Ukraine us
The Journal
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
US threatens to quit Ukraine-Russia talks unless the two sides put forward 'concrete proposals'
US SECRETARY OF STATE Marco Rubio has warned that the United States could give up on mediation unless Russia and Ukraine put forward 'concrete proposals,' as US patience wanes on what had been an early priority for Donald Trump. The US president had vowed to end the war in his first 24 hours back in the White House but, as Trump celebrates 100 days in office, Rubio has suggested the administration could soon turn attention to other issues. 'We are now at a time where concrete proposals need to be delivered by the two parties on how to end this conflict,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters, in what she said was a message from Rubio. 'If there is not progress, we will step back as mediators in this process.' She said it would ultimately be up to Trump to decide whether to move ahead on diplomacy. The president suggested on Tuesday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin still wants to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine. Asked in an interview with ABC television if Putin wants peace, Trump said: 'I think he does.' Putin recently proposed a three-day ceasefire around Moscow's commemorations next week for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. But he has rebuffed a Ukrainian-backed US call for a 30-day ceasefire. The United States wants 'not a three-day moment so you can celebrate something else — a complete, durable ceasefire and an end to the conflict,' Bruce said. It remains unclear if Rubio is actually ready to turn the page or is seeking to pressure the two countries. The United States already put together a framework proposal which Ukrainians feel bows to Russian demands. Advertisement Trump has suggested an official recognition of Russia's takeover in 2014 of Crimea, an annexation rejected by nearly all the world, in addition to land swaps. 'We all want this war to end in a fair way — with no rewards for Putin, especially no land,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told an event in Poland by videoconference yesterday. Russia has also not moved on the proposal with many experts believing Moscow now sees an upper hand — on the battlefield and diplomatically, with Trump eager to reconcile. Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, sought to blame Zelensky and said that Russia would keep speaking with the United States. Zelenskyy 'is bent on escalating the conflict. He's recklessly rejecting the United States' balanced peace proposals,' Nebenzia told a UN Security Council meeting. US diplomat John Kelley told the session that both sides would benefit from working off the US framework and condemned Russian strikes into Ukraine. 'Right now, Russia has a great opportunity to achieve a durable peace,' Kelley said. Trump, criticising his predecessor Joe Biden for shunning Putin over the February 2022 invasion, reached out by telephone to the Russian leader and has sent his business friend turned globe-trotting ambassador Steve Witkoff to see him. Trump in turn berated Zelenskyy in a 28 February White House meeting. He and Vice President JD Vance accused the wartime leader of ingratitude for US weapons sent under Biden. Ukraine quickly tried to make amends by backing US diplomatic efforts and pursuing a deal in which the United States would control much of the country's mineral wealth. Last week, a ballistic missile ripped into a residential area of Kyiv in one of the deadliest attacks on the capital since the invasion. Trump, who has claimed that Putin would not have attacked Ukraine if he were in power in 2022, wrote, 'Vladimir, STOP,' on social media after the attack. Ukraine ordered yesterday the evacuation of seven villages in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region which used to be remote from the frontlines but are now under threat as Russian forces close in. © AFP 2025
News18
30-04-2025
- Politics
- News18
'If There Is No Progress...': US Threatens To Walk Out Of Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire Talks
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the United States would give up on mediation unless Russia and Ukraine put forward "concrete proposals". US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Tuesday that the United States would give up on mediation unless Russia and Ukraine put forward 'concrete proposals," as US patience wanes on an early priority for Donald Trump. The US president had vowed to end the war in his first 24 hours back in the White House but, as Trump celebrates 100 days in office, Rubio has suggested the administration could soon turn attention to other issues. 'We are now at a time where concrete proposals need to be delivered by the two parties on how to end this conflict," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters, in what she said was a message from Rubio. 'If there is not progress, we will step back as mediators in this process." She said it would ultimately be up to Trump to decide whether to move ahead on diplomacy. The president suggested on Tuesday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin still wants to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine. Asked in an interview with ABC television if Putin wants peace, Trump said: 'I think he does." Putin recently proposed a three-day ceasefire around Moscow's commemorations next week for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. But he has rebuffed a Ukrainian-backed US call for a 30-day ceasefire. The United States wants 'not a three-day moment so you can celebrate something else — a complete, durable ceasefire and an end to the conflict," Bruce said. It remains unclear if Rubio is actually ready to turn the page or is seeking to pressure the two countries. The United States already put together a framework proposal which Ukrainians feel bows to Russian demands. Trump has suggested an official recognition of Russia's takeover in 2014 of Crimea, an annexation rejected by nearly all the world, in addition to land swaps. 'We all want this war to end in a fair way — with no rewards for Putin, especially no land," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told an event in Poland by videoconference on Tuesday. Russia has also not moved on the proposal with many experts believing Moscow now sees an upper hand — on the battlefield and diplomatically, with Trump eager to reconcile. Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, sought to blame Zelenskyy and said that Russia would keep speaking with the United States. Zelenskyy 'is bent on escalating the conflict. He's recklessly rejecting the United States' balanced peace proposals," Nebenzia told a UN Security Council meeting. US diplomat John Kelley told the session that both sides would benefit from working off the US framework and condemned Russian strikes into Ukraine. 'Right now, Russia has a great opportunity to achieve a durable peace," Kelley said. Trump, criticizing his predecessor Joe Biden for shunning Putin over the February 2022 invasion, reached out by telephone to the Russian leader and has sent his business friend turned globe-trotting ambassador Steve Witkoff to see him. Trump in turn berated Zelenskyy in a February 28 White House meeting. He and Vice President JD Vance accused the wartime leader of ingratitude for US weapons sent under Biden. Ukraine quickly tried to make amends by backing US diplomatic efforts and pursuing a deal in which the United States would control much of the country's mineral wealth. Democrats Slam Trump Over Crimea US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Tuesday that recognizing 'Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea would invite additional aggression from Moscow and Beijing." 'I have endeavored to give President Trump the space to negotiate a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, which is a goal we both share," she said. 'However, President Trump and his team have fatally mismanaged these negotiations — offering concession after concession to Russia, throwing away our leverage and fracturing the united front with our allies that is critical to ending this war," she said. Ukraine ordered on Tuesday the evacuation of seven villages in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region which used to be remote from the frontlines but are now under threat as Russian forces close in. Last week a ballistic missile ripped into a residential area of Kyiv in one of the deadliest attacks on the capital since the invasion. Trump, who has claimed that Putin would not have attacked Ukraine if he were in power in 2022, wrote, 'Vladimir, STOP," on social media after the attack. (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - AFP) Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published:
