Latest news with #VOLODYMYRZelensky
The Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Trump-Putin LIVE: Zelensky breaks silence as Don heads for talks with Vlad…after saying killing may be in tyrant's genes
VOLODYMYR Zelensky has said he is "counting on America" as Trump and Putin prepare to meet for a showdown in Alaska. The embattled Ukrainian president said he hopes the peace summit between the two leaders leads to a trilateral meeting to get Ukraine involved in the peacemaking process. 3 3 3 It comes after Trump blasted Vladimir Putin for continuing to attack Ukraine and said his urge to kill "might be in his genes". The US President spoke on board Air Force One as he heads to Alaska for the crucial war talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Trump will meet Putin at the steps of the Russian president's aircraft after it lands. Both powerful leaders are en route to the summit to hold a high-stakes meeting that could decide the fate of Ukraine. In a lengthy post on X, Zelensky said he expects his intelligence team to brief him on the talks between Washington and Moscow. He wrote: "The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format – Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side. "It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America. "We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible." Meanwhile, people in Anchorage are protesting about Putin being allowed to set foot on US soil due to him facing an arrest warrant over war crime allegations. Many are demanding that the conflict in Ukraine come to an end due to the barbaric killing of innocent civilians every day. Trump echoed some of the protesters' thoughts as he spoke to reporters ahead of his first face-to-face meeting with Putin in six years. Trump says tyrant Putin's need to kill 'might be in his genes' but onslaught 'hurts his negotiations' as leaders head to Alaska for Ukraine peace summit He said: "In [Putin's] mind, it helps him make a better deal if they can continue the killing. "Maybe it's a part of the world, maybe it's a part of his fabric, his genes, his genetics, but he thinks it gives him strength in negotiating. "I think it hurts him." Trump also warned that Russia faces "very severe" consequences if Putin doesn't appear interested in agreeing to a peace deal during the summit. Don has voiced concerns over how Putin may behave during the talks already, as he described the summit as being like a chess game. Trump reiterated these thoughts as he took to Truth Social shortly before he left Washington to simply say: "HIGH STAKES!!!" Russia's huge delegation started its journey across to the US earlier today as it sped through the shabby streets of Magadan. Putin is expected to board a jet to Alaska later and complete the trip to the 49th state. Trump will officially greet Putin before the peace talks start at around 8:30pm UK time. Today, 09:06 By Georgie English Putin's motorcade sets off for Alaska Vladimir Putin has started his nine-hour journey to Alaska ahead of his talks with Donald Trump. His huge team started their journey across to the US as they sped through the shabby streets of Magadan before boarding a jet to Alaska. Today, 09:02 By Georgie English Russia's latest military losses Soldiers - 1,068,040 Tanks - 11,106 Armoured fighting vehicles - 23,133 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems - 1,467 Aircraft - 422 Warships and boats - 28 *According to Ukraine's Armed Forces Today, 09:00 By Georgie English Inside 'last resort' base where Trump will host Putin An isolated ice military base in Alaska has been named as the setting for one of the most important superpower summits of our times. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will sit down "one-on-one" at the Elmendorf-Richardson base today. The base, near Anchorage, is bristling with troops from the US Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps - as well as National Guardsmen and Reserves. In all, over 32,000 military personnel and their families live there - ten percent of the population of Anchorage, Alaska 's largest city - alongside grizzly bears, moose and wolves.
Scottish Sun
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
What Trump and Zelensky ‘said to each other at Pope funeral revealed' as pressure mounts on Putin to make a deal
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) VOLODYMYR Zelensky is said to have urged Donald Trump to take a tougher stance against Russia when the leaders met during Pope Francis' funeral. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up Top US officials revealed that the Ukrainian leader was able to influence Trump, who appeared to be cosying up with Vladimir Putin since returning to the White House. 8 Trump and Zelensky meeting inside St Pater's Basilica Credit: Ukraine Presidential Office 8 The pair met ahead of the Pope's funeral Credit: Ukraine Presidential Office 8 Ukrainian service members of the 25th Sicheslav Airborne Brigade fire a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launch system towards Russian troops Credit: Reuters The whole world's eyes were on Zelensky and Trump at the Vatican City, where both leaders pulled chairs to the side to have a tête-à-tête. It was the first time they were pictured meeting together since their historic - and disastrous - White House row, which saw a shouting match between them. However, both presidents agreed to hold a quick, 15-minute one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of Pope Francis's funeral. The chat took place inside the holy St Peter's Basilica with both leaders discussing the dragging Russia-Ukraine war, and America's efforts to put an end to it. Two senior sources familiar with the contents of the meeting told Axios that Zelensky had urged President Trump to take a tougher stance on Putin, The Ukrainian leader is also said to have retreated his demands for an unconditional ceasefire, which was proposed by the US weeks ago but rejected by the Kremlin. It is understood that Zelensky told Trump he was ready to make concessions in a bid to bring peace to his war-torn nation, but demanded strong security guarantees in return. Zelensky said it was a "good" 15-minute meeting. He added: "We discussed a lot one-on-one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting the lives of our people. "Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out." How scheming Putin has undermined Trump's 100 day peace plan for finally end bloody war in Ukraine Sources told Axios that Trump seemed to agree to what Zelensky was asking. The White House didn't confirm or deny it. He is said to have replied by saying he might have changed his approach to dealing with Putin, which was visible shortly after their chat. Just hours after the meeting, Trump slammed Putin for "tapping him along" during his efforts for peace. He said: "There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns over the last few days. 8 US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in the Oval Office of the White House in February Credit: AFP 8 Macron and Starmer have were also pictured with the pair 8 Rescuers work at the site of a drone strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine 8 Experts beloved Trump is being played by Putin Credit: AFP "It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions?' Too many people are dying!!!" Trump also ordered Putin to "sit down and sign a deal", as he said Ukraine's battlefields are covered in body parts. The US and Ukrainian leaders have vowed to hold further talks in the coming days. Trump said on Sunday he was both "surprised and disappointed, very disappointed" that mad Vlad continued to bomb Ukraine, despite the dictator engaging in crunch talks with US peace envoy Steve Witkoff. It came after Putin's barbaric missile strikes on Kyiv earlier this week that left at least 12 dead. Russia announced a token ceasefire to coincide with VE Day after President Trump accused Putin of stringing him along on peace talks. The Kremlin said troops will stop fighting for 96 hours midnight on 7 May. The pause will coincide with events to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WW2 in Europe. But Moscow dashed hopes of a peace deal by repeating demands that Ukraine must surrender and disarm. Trump is said to be growing "increasingly frustrated" with both Putin and Zelensky in his attempts to bring the Ukraine war to a close. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump has "made it clear" he wants a permanent ceasefire, rather than the temporary pause offered by the scheming Russian tyrant. But experts say this was Putin's plan all along, and he's played Trump like a fiddle. ART OF THE DEAL One of the topics that Trump brought up during the 15-minute chat is understood to be the re-negotiated US-Ukraine minerals deal, which fell apart after the historic Oval Office spat. Trump is said to have pressed Zelensky to agree to the deal as soon as possible, the sources told Axios. Ukraine and the US officials said today they were ready to sign a minerals deal imminently after months of sometimes fraught negotiations. However, an eleventh-hour snag injected uncertainty into the timing. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters at the White House: "Our side is ready to sign. The Ukrainians decided last night to make some last-minute changes. "We're sure that they will reconsider that, and we are ready, if they are." US-Ukraine minerals deal explained By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter The minerals draft sets out the creation of a joint US-Ukrainian fund for reconstruction, which will receive 50 per cent of profits and royalties accruing to the Ukrainian state from new natural resources permits in Ukraine. The draft does not spell out how the joint fund's revenues will be spent, who benefits or who controls decisions about the spending. Once the main agreement was signed, the two sides would agree on two further technical and supplementary documents outlining issues such as how the funds are accumulated. Ukraine would retain control of all its resources in the deal, while the fund will invest in the development of Ukraine for 10 years, according to the country's prime minister Denys Shmyhal. The U.S could use its future military assistance to Ukraine as its contribution to the fund, Shmyhal said, with no previous military aid to the country reflected in the deal. "Ukraine will only make a contribution from new licenses, from new royalties on mineral resources. This will be our contribution, 50% of which will be given to this fund," he added. A draft of the main minerals agreement showed that Ukraine had secured the removal of any requirement for it to pay back the US for past military assistance, something Ukraine had staunchly opposed. Washington has been Ukraine's single largest military donor since Russia's 2022 invasion, with aid of more than 64 billion euros ($72 billion), according to the Kiel Institute in Germany. A Ukrainian official was on the way to Washington for the signing. But a source said the US was pushing Ukraine to sign two additional documents and that Kyiv felt it was premature. Bessent denied the US made any attempt to change the accord the two sides agreed to over the weekend. The agreement, which would give the United States access to Ukraine's mineral deposits, is central to Kyiv's efforts to mend ties with Trump For the White House, it is a bid to secure a peace settlement in Russia's war in Ukraine. Two sources said it could happen later on Wednesday. Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko was flying to the United States to sign the deal, the country's prime minister said earlier. Trump repeated on Wednesday that the U.S. should get something for its prior aid to Kyiv, thus the effort to secure a deal for Ukraine's plentiful deposits of rare earth minerals. "I assume they're going to honour the deal. ... We haven't really seen the fruits of that deal yet. I suspect we will," Trump said after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Ukrainian officials hope that signing the deal promoted by Trump will firm up American support for Kyiv in the more than three-year-old war. A former Trump advisor told LBC the developing US-Ukraine minerals deal will be a "trip wire" that Russia will not cross. He said: "It would engage the American military. It puts the Americans squarely in the middle of the Ukrainian state. It is a trip wire that Putin would dare not to cross."
