Latest news with #UkrainianPresidentialPressOffice
American Press
17-05-2025
- Politics
- American Press
Russia-Ukraine peace talks end after less than 2 hours with deal to swap POWs but no ceasefire
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second right, listens to military commander as he visits the Donetsk region, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office) The first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow's 2022 invasion ended after less than two hours Friday, and while both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, they clearly remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting. One such condition for Ukraine, backed by its Western allies, is a temporary ceasefire as a first step toward a peaceful settlement. The Kremlin has pushed back against such a truce, which remains elusive. 'We haven't received a Russian 'yes' on this basic point,' Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhii said after the talks. 'If you want to have serious negotiations, you have to have guns silenced.' But Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky pronounced himself 'satisfied with the outcome,' adding that Moscow was ready to continue contacts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he discussed the talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of France, Germany, the U.K. and Poland. In a post on X from a European leadership meeting in Albania, he urged 'tough sanctions' against Moscow if it rejects 'a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings.' In Istanbul, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, according to the heads of both delegations, in what would be their biggest such swap. Both sides also discussed a ceasefire and a meeting between their heads of state, according to chief Ukrainian delegate, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, said both sides agreed to provide each other with detailed ceasefire proposals, with Ukraine requesting the heads of state meeting, which Russia took under consideration. 'The pressure on the Russian Federation must continue,' said Serhii Kyslytsia, Ukraine's first deputy foreign minister and part of Kyiv's delegation. 'We should not really relax at this point.' New, 'unacceptable conditions' During the talks, a senior Ukrainian official said Russia introduced new, 'unacceptable demands' to withdraw Ukrainian forces from huge swaths of territory. The official, who was not authorized to make official statements, spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The proposal had not been previously discussed, the official said. The Ukrainian side reiterated it was focused on achieving real progress — an immediate ceasefire and a pathway to substantive diplomacy — 'just like the U.S., European partners, and other countries proposed,' the official added. Foreign Ministry spokesman Tykhii confirmed the Russian delegation 'voiced a number of things that we deem unacceptable,' but added: 'This is something that Russians usually voice, and we were keeping to our line.' The two sides sat opposite each other at a U-shaped table in the Dolmabahce Palace but remained far apart in their conditions for ending the war. Trump, who has pressed for an end to the conflict, said he would meet with Putin 'as soon as we can set it up.' 'I think it's time for us to just do it,' Trump told reporters in Abu Dhabi as he wrapped up a trip to the Middle East.
Euronews
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Donald Trump stirrs controversy after posting image of himself as the pope
ADVERTISEMENT The White House on Saturday posted an AI-generated image of US President Donald Trump shows as the leader of the Catholic Church. Trup had jokingly said a few days earlier that he would "like to be pope", and originally posted the image on his own social media network, Truth Social. This was later shared by the White House. The image was posted by the US president just a few days before the conclave to elect a new pontiff is set to begin on 7 May following Pope Francis' death on Easter Sunday. Trump most recently visted the Vatican last Saturday, in what was his first foreign trip during his second term, in order to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. Shortly before the funeral began, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss further steps in negotiating an end to the war with Russia. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and President Donald Trump, talk as they attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025 AP/Ukrainian Presidential Press Office Trump's pick for pope When speaking to reporters last Tuesday, Trump joked that he himself would be his "number one choice", before adding "I must say we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who's very good." Trump was likely referring to New York Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan, who is however not on the shortlist of cardinals with the possibility to be elected as the next pontiff.
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First Post
03-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Zelenskyy says Trump 'began to see things a little differently' after meeting at Vatican
Both the White House and Ukraine described the one-on-one meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump as 'very productive'. The two leaders, leaning in close to each other with no aides around them while seated in St. Peter's Basilica, spoke for about 15 minutes read more In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and President Donald Trump, talk as they attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025.(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday said that his American counterpart Donald Trump's views on the war have altered a bit after the duo's last conversation at the White House in February. Trump met Zelenskyy last month on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral at the Vatican. The Ukrainian president said, 'I am confident that after our meeting in the Vatican, President Trump began to look at things a little differently. We'll see. That's his vision, his choice in any case.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Both the White House and Ukraine described the one-on-one meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump as 'very productive'. The two leaders, leaning in close to each other with no aides around them while seated in St. Peter's Basilica, spoke for about 15 minutes, according to Zelenskyy's office and images of the meeting released by Kyiv and Washington. US withdraws from peace negotiations Zelenskyy's comments come hours after US announced its withdrawal from formal peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. The United States will no longer indulge in shuttle diplomacy to bring the war between Ukraine and Russia to an end, according to the Department of State. The Trump administration is changing 'the methodology of how we contribute' to peace talks and will no longer 'fly around the world at the drop of a hat' for meetings, said State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, according to The Daily Telegraph. Attack in Kharkiv Meanwhile, Russian drone strikes on Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv wounded 47 people late Friday, police said, while Russian officials reported a 'massive attack' by Ukraine on the Krasnodar region. 'Hostile attacks on Kharkiv resulted in 47 injured civilians,' police in the Kharkiv region wrote on Telegram. Kharkiv governor Oleg Synegubov previously said that around 50 people had been wounded in the strikes, including an 11-year-old girl. 'Fires have broken out. Residential buildings, civilian infrastructure and cars have been damaged' in the drone strikes, he added. The attacks came hours after Russian strikes on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia wounded more than 20 people. With inputs from agencies
Euronews
02-05-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Zelenskyy: Minerals deal with the US a 'truly equal agreement'
ADVERTISEMENT Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasised on Thursday that the minerals agreement signed with the United States was the outcome of negotiations that resulted in a 'truly equal agreement'. In his evening address, he noted that the agreement stipulates no repayment obligations for previous US assistance to Kyiv. Following several months of intense discussions, the US and Ukraine finalised a deal expected to grant Washington access to Ukraine's critical minerals and other natural resources, an arrangement that Kyiv hopes will ensure sustained support for its defence against Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and President Donald Trump, talk as they attend the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, April 26, 2025 AP/Ukrainian Presidential Press Office Ukrainian officials have stated that the agreement signed on Wednesday is significantly more advantageous for Ukraine compared to earlier iterations, which they claimed relegated Kyiv to a subordinate role and granted Washington extraordinary control over the nation's resources. This agreement, pending ratification by the Ukrainian parliament, will create a reconstruction fund for Ukraine, which officials believe will facilitate ongoing American military support. An earlier version of this agreement was close to being finalised but was ultimately disrupted during a contentious meeting in the Oval Office that included US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and President Zelenskyy. US Vice President JD Vance speaks with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy as US President Donald Trump listens, in the Oval Office at the White House, Washington, Feb. 28, 2025 Mystyslav Chernov/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved Ukrainian reactions to the deal Kyiv residents reacted to the US-Ukraine mineral deal with mixed feelings on Thursday. "Any news is hard to take, whether it's about negotiations or something else. I still believe and hope that any action will yield some result that will lead our Ukraine to victory. Only to victory," said Diana Abramova, a Kyiv resident. Despite not knowing the details of the deal, 74-year-old university lecturer Natalia Vysotska expressed optimism, saying 'if it was signed, then our experts must have compared the pros and cons. I hope it will be beneficial." People with Ukrainian flags and banners attend a rally of families of missing soldiers from the Bakhmut garrison in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, May 1, 2025 Vasilisa Stepanenko/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved. But others felt more depleted. For 37-year-old Iryna Vasylevska, the deal served as another reminder that 'our land is just a bargaining chip for the rest of the world and that we do not have our own full protection.' 'My vision is that instead of strengthening ourselves, we continue to give it all away,' she added. 'I feel terrible about the fact that our human resources in war are considered as meat. I am sure that there are other possible agreements, except those that will make us poor in all areas.' The agreement was reached at a time that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as a "very critical" week for Washington's initiatives aimed at resolving the conflict, which had seemed to have reached an impasse. Ukraine views this arrangement as a means to guarantee that its most important and influential ally remains involved and does not withdraw military assistance, which has been crucial in its ongoing struggle against Russia's full-scale invasion over the past three years.
First Post
01-05-2025
- Business
- First Post
4 things you didn't know about Ukraine-US mineral deal
While headlines have focused on the deal's access to Ukraine's rare earth elements, several lesser-known aspects reveal deeper layers of this partnership. Here are four key points you might have missed read more In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and President Donald Trump, talk as they attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025.(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) The recently signed minerals agreement between Ukraine and the United States, which was months in the making, has garnered a fair bit of attention. The agreement establishes an investment fund that Ukraine hopes will secure US support as the nation continues its fight against Russia three years after the war began. However, beyond the public declarations of strategic partnership and post-war recovery, the deal contains several lesser-known provisions. Here are four important but overlooked aspects of the agreement: STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 1. Zelenskyy won't pay back anything to Trump Despite initial suggestions from some quarters in Washington that Ukraine could repay part of its wartime aid through mineral revenues, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy firmly opposed the idea. He reportedly insisted that any suggestion of repayment would amount to turning the cost of survival into a debt burden for future generations. The final agreement, as confirmed by Kyiv and Washington officials, contains no clause requiring repayment of military or economic assistance provided during the war. This may frustrate some in the Trump administration who have called for more transactional foreign policy, but it allows Ukraine to protect its economic sovereignty. 2. It's not only about rare earth minerals Much of the attention surrounding the deal has focused on Ukraine's rare earth deposits, which are crucial for high-tech manufacturing and military hardware. However, the agreement covers a far broader range of critical minerals. Ukraine's reserves include large deposits of lithium, graphite, titanium and uranium. These materials are vital to a range of industries including electric vehicles, aerospace, nuclear energy and semiconductors. For the United States, gaining early access to these resources offers a strategic advantage in reducing dependency on China. For Ukraine, it signals a path toward becoming a key supplier in global clean energy and defence supply chains. 3. Trump won't object to Ukraine's EU membership One of the more politically charged questions leading up to the deal was whether closer US-Ukraine economic ties would come with conditions that could complicate Ukraine's bid to join the European Union. So far, that concern appears unfounded. Officials involved in the negotiations say the US made no demands that would contradict Ukraine's EU aspirations. In fact, the mineral deal is being described by some analysts as complementary to Ukraine's European ambitions, as it helps modernise the country's industrial base and attract further Western investment. Despite Donald Trump's well-known scepticism of transatlantic alliances, sources say he has raised no objections to Ukraine's EU bid in the context of this deal. 4. The US will invest all its profits in Ukraine for the first 10 years In an unexpected move, the agreement includes a clause committing the United States to reinvest all profits from the mineral partnership back into Ukraine for the first decade. This reinvestment will go toward rebuilding critical infrastructure, modernising mining operations and supporting economic development in war-affected regions. White House officials have framed this as both a strategic and moral commitment, signalling that US interests in Ukraine are not just extractive but developmental. For Ukraine, it means immediate and tangible benefits from the deal, rather than waiting years for investment returns to materialise. With inputs from agencies
