Latest news with #peaceTalks
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump And Putin Are Meeting To Discuss Giving Away Ukraine's Land. How On Earth Did We Get Here?
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska on Friday to discuss ending the Ukraine war by changing its borders. This absurd situation has understandably sparked fury in Ukraine. Putin has seized four Ukrainian regions since his February 2022 invasion, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, although he does not have full control over them. Russia has also been holding onto the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea since Putin annexed it in 2014. How did we even get to this point? Here's what you need to know – and what could happen next. What's just happened with Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy? What did Trump say? The US president has been trying to orchestrate the end of the Ukraine war ever since he returned to office this year. He promised he could end the war within his first 24 hours back in the Oval office – that was seven months ago and the three-year war is still raging. Trump posted on social media on Friday that the parties, including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were close to a ceasefire deal. However, he warned that it could demand Ukraine to give a significant portion of territory. He then told reporters at the White House that there would be an exchange of land, saying: 'There'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.' What did Zelenskyy say? Zelenskyy, who has been trying to stay on Trump's good side in recent months, immediately rejected the idea. He said: 'Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupiers.' In a video posted on social media, he said the country will not violate its constitution on its territory. Speaking bluntly, he said: 'They will not achieve anything. These are stillborn decisions. They are unworkable decisions. And we need real and genuine peace.' What did Putin say? Putin has not spoken himself about the arrangement, but it's likely the Russian president is delighted to have a one-on-one with Trump – without Zelenskyy's input. The Kremlin has confirmed Putin will be meeting with Trump next Friday, and they will 'focus on discussing options for achieving a long-term peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis'. Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov said: 'This will evidently be a challenging process, but we will engage in it actively and energetically.' Do we know what's actually on the table in this potential deal? As the Institute for Studying War think tank pointed out, it's very difficult to know what Putin's actual position is right now. The Trump administration has described Russia's potential peace offer in four different ways since August 6. The only consistency is that Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from unoccupied parts of Donetsk, which would be a major Ukrainian concession. Confusingly, it seems different parts of the US administration believe Putin has offered to withdraw from some areas of Ukraine if he can officially claim other parts of the country as his – but the exact details have been mixed up while being relaying between officials. There's also been some talk of Russia freezing the frontline in some occupied regions. How has Europe responded? Europe quickly rallied together in response to Trump's statements, confirming their ongoing backing for Ukraine and calling for its sovereign borders to be respected. In a statement over the weekend, a Downing Street spokeswoman confirmed Starmer had spoken to the French president Emmanuel Macron about the crisis and 'reiterated their unwavering support' for Ukraine. She said: 'They welcomed President Trump's efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine and end Russia's war of aggression, and discussed how to further work closely with President Trump and President Zelenskyy over the coming days.' A subsequent statement was then issued by the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, the EU and Finland, 'welcoming' Trump's work, while insisting its diplomatic support for Ukraine was unwavering. 'We stand ready to support this work diplomatically as well as by upholding our substantive military and financial support to Ukraine, including through the work of the Coalition of the Willing, and by upholding and imposing restrictive measures against the Russian Federation,' the heads of state said. They noted that there was a 'need for robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.' The statement pointedly added: 'Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. 'The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.' They also made it plain that they still believe Russia's invasion of Ukraine was illegal. What does all this mean? It certainly seems that Putin holds more of the cards right now than Ukraine, although Trump could still impose crippling sanctions on Russia's cheap oil exports. However, he seems reluctant to do that directly to Moscow, so far only slapping extra tariffs on India for continually buying the Russian produce. The US president is very keen to end the war, but appears to have a soft spot for Putin. He has repeatedly offered to conclude the conflict on Putin's terms, but the Russian president has repeatedly dragged his feet during previous attempts to negotiate a peace. After Trump's crackdown on Russia's trade with India, there's a chance this could be a turning point – but Putin is keeping his cards close to his chest once again. Meanwhile, Europe is desperately pushing to ensure the continent, which is most at risk of Putin's expansionist goals, still has a seat at the negotiation table, and trying to put Ukraine's interests at the heart of talks. Trump now seems to want to end the conflict even if it means overlooking what Ukraine wants altogether, even ditching his plan to hold a trilateral meeting between himself, Russian and Ukraine just to appease Putin. And, as a Russian researcher from the global monitor Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) pointed out, losses continue to rise on the battlefield amid all of the international diplomacy. Fedor K said: 'Despite the recent diplomatic pressure, the war wages on and civilians on both sides of the border are paying the ultimate toll.' Related... Putin's Army Is Still Taking Large Chunks Of Ukraine's Land, UK Says Trump Eases Up On Vladimir Putin By Offering The Russian Dictator 1 Major Concession Putin Has Pulled The Wool Over Trump's Eyes Before. Will He Do It Again?
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vance in UK for high-stakes diplomacy day after Trump announces Putin meeting
Vice President JD Vance met with European allies and Ukrainian officials in a day of high-stakes diplomatic talks on Saturday -- less than a week before a historic meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks in the UK came just a day after Trump announced the face-to-face meeting with Putin set for Aug. 15 in Alaska to continue negotiations to end the war that has dragged on for more than three years. A U.S. official told ABC News the Saturday talks Vance took part in "produced significant progress toward President Trump's goal of bringing an end to the war in Ukraine." MORE: Trump says he'll meet with Putin next Friday in Alaska The talks Saturday took place at the UK foreign secretary's estate, Chevening House in Kent, England. Vance met with Foreign Secretary David Lammy and representatives from Ukraine and other European allies. The UK meeting came as the upcoming Trump-Putin summit -- set to happen without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the table -- has raised concern among Ukrainian officials and across Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday morning he had spoken with both Zelenskyy and other European leaders and that, "The future of Ukraine cannot be decided without the Ukrainians who have been fighting for their freedom and security for over three years now." MORE: Trump administration weighs value of Putin summit: ANALYSIS Speaking from the White House on Friday, Trump suggested discussions to end the war could include "some swapping of territories," which Zelenskyy later swiftly rejected, saying Ukraine 'will not give Russia any awards for what it has done' and that 'Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.' Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials have also insisted that any negotiations must include Ukraine at the table. "Our positions were clear: a reliable, lasting peace is only possible with Ukraine at the negotiating table, with full respect for our sovereignty and without recognizing the occupation," Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in a statement Saturday that also thanked JD Vance for taking part in the UK talks. MORE: Zelenskyy rejects ceding Ukrainian territory, says Kyiv must be part of negotiations In an address Saturday evening, Zelenskyy called the talks Saturday in the UK "constructive" and said they came during an "active day of diplomacy" between Ukraine and several EU allies. "All our messages were conveyed," Zelenskyy said of the talks with Vance. "Our arguments are being heard. The risks are being taken into account. The path to peace for Ukraine must be determined together – and only together – with Ukraine. This is fundamental. And it is important that our joint approaches and shared vision work toward a genuine peace. A consolidated position. A ceasefire. An end to the occupation. An end to the war." Speaking more broadly, Zelenskyy said he believes Trump "has the leverage and the determination" to end the war, adding that "Ukraine has supported all of President Trump's proposals, starting back in February." Friday marked the deadline Trump set for Putin to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face "secondary sanctions" against countries that buy oil from Russia. But uncertainty remained as to whether the U.S. would hit Moscow with new economic penalties — and Trump has now agreed to meet with Putin. The meeting in Alaska will be Putin's first meeting with a major Western leader since Russia invaded Ukraine more than three years ago -- and his first visit to the U.S. in 10 years.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Trump could meet in person with Putin as soon as next week, White House official says
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump could meet in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as next week as he seeks to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, a White House official said Wednesday. The official cautioned that a meeting has not been scheduled yet and no location has been determined. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans. The White House said Trump was also open to a meeting with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A meeting between Putin and Trump would be their first since Trump returned to office this year. It would be a significant milestone in the 3-year-old war, though there's no promise such a meeting would lead to the end of the fighting since Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on their demands. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was asked in an interview on Fox Business later Wednesday about a potential Trump-Putin meeting, said 'a lot has to happen before that can occur.' Rubio said the U.S. would be having talks with its European allies and the Ukrainians over the next few days. He said Trump meeting directly with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine would help close an agreement, but said, 'We've got to get close enough to that point so that a meeting like that will be productive and worth doing.' 'Today was a good day, but we've got a lot of work ahead,' he said. 'There's still many impediments to overcome.' News of a potential meeting with Putin, which was first reported by The New York Times, came hours after Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow. Trump had posted earlier on Truth Social that Witkoff 'had a highly productive meeting' with Putin in which 'great progress was made.' Zelenskyy has been willing to meet face-to-face with Putin to end the conflict, but Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea. Trump has met with Zelenskyy several times this year, including a contentious February meeting in Washington. Though he has not yet met with Putin this year, Trump met with him five times during his first term. Trump said earlier Wednesday that he had updated America's allies in Europe and that they will work toward an end to the war 'in the days and weeks to come.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, 'The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky.' Her statement did not address the potential timing of any meeting. The Kremlin has not yet commented on any potential meetings with Trump. Witkoff met with Putin days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil. The meeting between Putin and Witkoff lasted about three hours, the Kremlin said. Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin and Witkoff had a 'useful and constructive conversation' that focused on the Ukrainian crisis and, in a nod toward improving relations between Washington and Moscow, 'prospects for possible development of strategic cooperation' between the United States and Russia. The threat of US sanctions Earlier on Wednesday, the same White House official said the U.S. was still expected to impose secondary sanctions against Russia on Friday, after a 10-day deadline that Trump imposed is to expire. The White House has not yet released details about the sanctions. Washington has threatened 'severe tariffs' and other economic penalties if the killing doesn't stop. Trump also has threatened to slap tariffs on nations that buy Russian oil, which could increase import taxes dramatically on China and India He said Tuesday he hadn't publicly committed to any particular tariff rate, and indicated that his decision could depend on an outcome of the meeting with Putin. Trump has expressed increasing frustration with Putin over Russia's escalating strikes on civilian areas of Ukraine, intended to erode morale and public appetite for the war. The intensified attacks have occurred even as Trump has urged the Russian leader in recent months to relent. Zelenskyy said Wednesday evening that he and Trump spoke on the phone after Witkoff met with Putin. He said 'European leaders also participated in the conversation,' and 'we discussed what was said in Moscow.' 'It seems that Russia is now more inclined to agree to a ceasefire,' Zelenskyy said, adding that the pressure on Moscow 'is working,' without elaborating. Zelenskyy stressed it was important to make sure Russia does not 'deceive us or the United States' when it comes to 'the details' of a potential agreement. Kyiv proposes that Ukraine and its allies soon 'talk to determine our position, our common position, and our common view.' The fighting grinds on Overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, Russian forces hit a recreational center in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, killing two people and injuring 12, including two children, regional Gov. Ivan Fedorov said Wednesday. Russian forces launched at least four strikes on the area and initially attacked with powerful glide bombs. 'There is zero military sense in this strike. Only cruelty to intimidate,' Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram. Russia also struck the Ukrainian power grid and facilities for heating and cooking gas, Zelenskyy said, as Ukraine makes preparations for winter. Western analysts and Ukrainian officials say Putin is stalling for time and avoiding serious negotiations while Russian forces push to capture more Ukraine land. A Russian offensive that started in the spring and is expected to continue through the fall is advancing faster than last year's push but is making only slow and costly gains and has been unable to take any major cities. The situation on the front line is critical for Ukrainian forces but defenses are not about to collapse, analysts say. Risks of more pressure Stepping up diplomatic and economic pressure on the Kremlin risks stoking international tensions amid worsening Russia-U.S. relations. Putin has given no hint that he might be ready to make concessions. Instead, the Russian leader and senior Kremlin officials have talked up the country's military strength. Putin announced last week that Russia's new hypersonic missile, which he says cannot be intercepted by current NATO air defense systems, has entered service. Russia announced Tuesday that it no longer regards itself as bound by a self-imposed moratorium on the deployment of nuclear-capable intermediate range missiles, a warning that potentially sets the stage for a new arms race. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, meantime, warned that the Ukraine war could bring Russia and the U.S. into armed conflict. Trump responded to that by ordering the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday welcomed Witkoff's visit. 'We consider (talks with Witkoff) important, substantive and very useful,' he said. Trump initially gave Moscow a 50-day deadline, but later moved up his ultimatum as the Kremlin continued to bomb Ukrainian cities. However, Trump himself doubted their effectiveness, saying Sunday that Russia has proven to be 'pretty good at avoiding sanctions.' 'They're wily characters,' he said of the Russians. The Kremlin has insisted that international sanctions imposed since its February 2022 invasion of its neighbor have had a limited impact. Ukraine maintains the sanctions are taking their toll on Moscow's war machine and wants Western allies to ramp them up.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump could meet Putin as soon as next week, White House official says
US President Donald Trump could meet in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as next week as he seeks to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, a White House official said. The official cautioned that a meeting has not been scheduled yet and no location has been determined. The official was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans. The White House said Mr Trump was also open to a meeting with both Mr Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Trump would be their first since Mr Trump returned to office this year. It would be a significant milestone in the three-year-old war, though there is no promise such a meeting would lead to the end of the fighting since Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on their demands. News of a potential meeting with Mr Putin, which was first reported by The New York Times, came hours after Mr Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff met Mr Putin in Moscow. Mr Trump had posted earlier on Truth Social that Mr Witkoff 'had a highly productive meeting' with Mr Putin in which 'great progress was made'. It was not immediately clear if Mr Putin or Mr Zelensky had agreed to any meetings with Mr Trump. Mr Zelensky has been willing to meet face-to-face with Mr Putin to end the conflict, but Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea. Mr Trump has met Mr Zelensky several times this year, including a contentious February meeting in Washington. Though he has not yet met Mr Putin this year, Mr Trump met with him five times during his first term. Mr Trump said earlier on Wednesday that he updated America's allies in Europe and that they will work toward an end to the Russia-Ukraine war 'in the days and weeks to come'. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: 'The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky.' Her statement did not address the potential timing of any meeting. Mr Witkoff met Mr Putin days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil. The meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Witkoff lasted about three hours, the Kremlin said. Mr Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Mr Putin and Mr Witkoff had a 'useful and constructive conversation' that focused on the Ukrainian crisis and, in a nod toward improving relations between Washington and Moscow, 'prospects for possible development of strategic co-operation' between the United States and Russia.
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Trump could meet Putin as soon as next week, White House official says
US President Donald Trump could meet in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as next week as he seeks to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, a White House official said. The official cautioned that a meeting has not been scheduled yet and no location has been determined. The official was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans. Advertisement The White House said Mr Trump was also open to a meeting with both Mr Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Trump would be their first since Mr Trump returned to office this year. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff shake hands during their meeting in Moscow on Wednesday (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) It would be a significant milestone in the three-year-old war, though there is no promise such a meeting would lead to the end of the fighting since Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on their demands. News of a potential meeting with Mr Putin, which was first reported by The New York Times, came hours after Mr Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff met Mr Putin in Moscow. Mr Trump had posted earlier on Truth Social that Mr Witkoff 'had a highly productive meeting' with Mr Putin in which 'great progress was made'. Advertisement It was not immediately clear if Mr Putin or Mr Zelensky had agreed to any meetings with Mr Trump. Mr Zelensky has been willing to meet face-to-face with Mr Putin to end the conflict, but Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea. Mr Trump has met Mr Zelensky several times this year, including a contentious February meeting in Washington. Though he has not yet met Mr Putin this year, Mr Trump met with him five times during his first term. Mr Trump said earlier on Wednesday that he updated America's allies in Europe and that they will work toward an end to the Russia-Ukraine war 'in the days and weeks to come'. Advertisement White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: 'The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky.' Her statement did not address the potential timing of any meeting. Mr Witkoff met Mr Putin days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil. The meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Witkoff lasted about three hours, the Kremlin said. Advertisement Mr Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Mr Putin and Mr Witkoff had a 'useful and constructive conversation' that focused on the Ukrainian crisis and, in a nod toward improving relations between Washington and Moscow, 'prospects for possible development of strategic co-operation' between the United States and Russia.
