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Business Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Times
Trump sets up Zelensky meeting as Putin renews land demands
Donald Trump will host President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington on Monday (Aug 18) after the US president abandoned his push for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and Vladimir Putin again insisted that Kyiv give up land in peace talks. Trump told the Ukrainian president and European leaders in a call that Putin wants Kyiv to cede control of the entire Donbas region in Ukraine's east, renewing his longstanding demand, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition on anonymity. They spoke as Trump flew back from Friday's high-profile summit with Putin in Alaska, which failed to deliver a path to end the war, currently in its fourth year. Trump called his meeting productive, then signalled that he would tell Zelensky to make a deal, piling more pressure on the Ukrainian leader. After the Alaska summit, several senior European diplomats expressed angst over the outcome, noting Putin appeared to have gained the most from the meeting. They pointed to Putin's symbolic win for securing an invitation to the US and the Russian leader apparently prevailing on Trump to shift focus to an overarching peace settlement without seeking an immediate ceasefire. European allies from the so-called coalition of the willing countries that pledged support to Kyiv will hold a video call on Sunday, France said on Saturday. Some European leaders may also join Zelensky in person for his meeting with Trump on Monday, said one of the people. Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out giving up all of Donetsk and Luhansk, which Moscow's forces only partially control and have so far failed to take militarily. Russia would halt advancing its claims over the parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson region it doesn't now control, effectively freezing the battle-lines there, the people said. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday voiced his doubts about the Russian leader's intentions about ending the war in Ukraine. 'Putin has promised a lot so far, signed many agreements. I don't believe it so easily. But at least, it's the beginning of a conversation,' Merz said in an interview with RTL/ntv. Trump told European leaders that he was prepared to contribute to guaranteeing Ukraine's security as long as it didn't involve Nato, they added. The president suggested Putin would be OK with that, the people said. 'Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace,' Zelensky said in a social media post after a call with Trump on Saturday. Trump confirmed the Ukrainian president's visit to Washington in a Truth Social post, and said a meeting with Putin and Zelensky could be scheduled 'if all works out'. The US president said in the post that his meeting with Putin and the call with Zelensky both went 'very well'. 'It was determined by all' that the best way to end the war was to achieve a peace agreement and 'not a mere Ceasefire Agreement', he wrote. The statement comes after Trump said previously that a ceasefire would be his key demand of Putin at the summit. He also threatened to walk out of the meeting and to impose new tough punitive measures if it wasn't met. Trump signalled on Friday that he wasn't in a rush to implement fresh penalties on Russia's trading partners. Uneasy relationship Monday's visit to the White House will be a pivotal moment for Zelensky, who's had an uneasy relationship with Trump. His last visit to the Oval Office in February descended into a shouting match between the two leaders and briefly led to the US pausing military aid to Ukraine, which undercut the country's fighting capabilities. Trump and Zelensky have since met repeatedly, including at the Nato leaders summit in Hague and at the Vatican, and patched up their ties. European officials welcomed Trump's efforts during their call with the US president. They also reiterated the need for a trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin, and Zelensky in a statement released on Saturday. That statement made no mention of earlier demands for an immediate ceasefire as a first step towards negotiations. The topic of a trilateral summit wasn't raised in Alaska, Russia's state TV channel Vesti reported on Saturday, citing Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. European leaders also said that it will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. 'International borders must not be changed by force,' according to the statement, signed by the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Finland, Poland the UK and the president of the European Commission. Some European officials are concerned that Trump will now pressure Zelensky to make territorial concessions to reach a deal, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. 'President Trump's resolve to get a peace deal is vital,' said European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. 'But the harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war anytime soon.' Putin continues to drag out negotiations and 'left Anchorage without making any commitments to end the killing', Kallas said. Putin told his government on Saturday that the conversation with Trump in Alaska was 'very frank and meaningful', the Kremlin said on its website. 'We, of course, respect the position of the American administration, which sees the need for a speedy end to military action,' he said. 'We would also like this and would like to move to resolving all issues by peaceful means.' In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity after the Alaskan summit, Trump said that there were a few sticking points remaining after his discussion with Putin, even as he cautioned that the two hadn't reached a deal, and shifted his focus to Zelensky, saying it was up to him to resolve the war. 'We are clear that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity' and 'no limitations should be placed on Ukraine's armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries', the statement from European leaders said. 'Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to EU and Nato.' Meanwhile, Ukraine's Air Force said on Telegram on Saturday morning that Russia launched 85 drones and a ballistic missile at Ukrainian territory overnight, underscoring Moscow's intention to press on with the war. 'We anticipate that in the coming days, the Russian army may try to increase pressure and strikes against Ukrainian positions in order to create more favourable political circumstances for talks with global actors,' Zelensky said on X. BLOOMBERG
Mint
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Trump's Push For Peace Shifts to Zelenskiy in Oval Office Again
The fate of Donald Trump's push to stop the fighting in Ukraine will be tested again as Volodymyr Zelenskiy prepares to respond to the US president's shifting demands following mixed signals from the Russia-US summit in Alaska. Trump will host the Ukrainian president at the White House on Monday in their first Oval Office encounter since a public spat in February. The new encounter will test the outcome of Friday's still-secretive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, after which Trump abandoned his push for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and Putin insisted that Kyiv give up land. Trump told Zelenskiy and European leaders in a phone call that Putin wants Ukraine to cede control of the entire Donbas region in Ukraine's east, renewing his longstanding demand, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition on anonymity. Zelenskiy has previously said that Ukraine won't give up territory and Putin has broken ceasefires before. The European leaders spoke with Trump as he flew back from Alaska, a meeting which failed to uncover a path to end the war, currently in its fourth year. Trump called his meeting productive, then also signaled he would tell Zelenskiy to make a deal, piling more pressure on the Ukrainian leader. Several senior European diplomats expressed angst over the outcome soon after they got word of the details, noting Putin appeared to have gained the most. They pointed to Putin's symbolic win for securing an invitation to the US and the Russian leader apparently prevailing on Trump to shift focus to an overarching peace settlement without an immediate ceasefire. European allies from the so-called coalition-of-the-willing countries that pledged support to Kyiv will hold a video call on Sunday, France said on Saturday. Some European leaders may also join Zelenskiy in person for his meeting with Trump on Monday, said one of the people. Trump's White House stayed deliberately tight-lipped on Saturday after the president's return to Washington, declining to further detail the talks, his plans or what he'd discuss with Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy has repeatedly ruled out giving up all of Donetsk and Luhansk, which Moscow's forces only partially control and have so far failed to take militarily. Russia would halt advancing its claims over the parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson region it doesn't now control, effectively freezing the battle lines there, the people said. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday voiced his doubts about the Russian leader's intentions. 'Putin has promised a lot so far, signed many agreements. I don't believe it so easily. But at least, it's the beginning of a conversation,' Merz said in an interview with RTL/ntv. Trump told European leaders that he was prepared to contribute to guaranteeing Ukraine's security as long as it didn't involve NATO, they added. The president suggested Putin would be OK with that, the people said. 'Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace,' Zelenskiy said in a social media post after a call with Trump on Saturday. Trump confirmed the Ukrainian president's visit to Washington in a Truth Social post, and said a meeting with Putin and Zelenskiy could be scheduled 'if all works out.' The US president said in the post that his meeting with Putin and the call with Zelenskiy both went 'very well.' 'It was determined by all' that the best way to end the war was to achieve a peace agreement and 'not a mere Ceasefire Agreement,' he wrote. Trump had said going into the summit that a ceasefire would be his key demand. He also threatened to walk out of the meeting and to impose new tough punitive measures if it wasn't met. Trump signaled on Friday he wasn't in a rush to implement fresh penalties on Russia's trading partners. 'This is just not Trump's forte,' said Charles Lichfield, deputy director of the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center in Washington. 'He's not shaping the discussion, he's not setting the themes, and he's used to being in control, and this was him hosting, and yet we come out of it with him looking less in control. So it seems to be a bit of a failure to me.' Still, he said, Europe has no choice but to deal with Trump as the broker. 'He's the one who has the most direct line to Putin,' Lichfield said. 'I think the Ukrainians and Europeans are doomed to have to work through Trump.' Monday's visit to the White House will be a pivotal moment for Zelenskiy, who's had an uneasy relationship with Trump. His last visit in the Oval Office in February ended in a shouting match between the two leaders and led to the US briefly pausing military aid to Ukraine. Trump and Zelenskiy have since patched up their ties. European officials welcomed Trump's efforts but also reiterated the need for a trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin, and Zelenskiy in a statement released on Saturday. That statement made no mention of earlier demands for an immediate ceasefire as a first step toward negotiations. The topic of a trilateral summit wasn't raised in Alaska, Russia's state TV channel Vesti reported on Saturday, citing Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. European leaders also said that it will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. 'International borders must not be changed by force,' according to the statement, signed by the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Finland, Poland, the UK and the president of the European Commission. Some European officials are concerned that Trump will now pressure Zelenskiy to make territorial concessions to reach a deal, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. 'President Trump's resolve to get a peace deal is vital,' said European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. 'But the harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war anytime soon.' Putin continues to drag out negotiations and 'left Anchorage without making any commitments to end the killing,' Kallas said. Putin told his government on Saturday that the conversation with Trump in Alaska was 'very frank and meaningful,' the Kremlin said on its website. 'We, of course, respect the position of the American administration, which sees the need for a speedy end to military action,' he said. 'We would also like this and would like to move to resolving all issues by peaceful means.' In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity after the Alaskan summit, Trump said that there were a few sticking points remaining, even as he cautioned that the two hadn't reached a deal. He shifted his focus to Zelenskiy, putting the onus on him to end the war. 'We are clear that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity' and 'no limitations should be placed on Ukraine's armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries,' the statement from European leaders said. 'Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to EU and NATO.' Meanwhile, Ukraine's Air Force said on Telegram Saturday morning that Russia launched 85 drones and a ballistic missile at Ukrainian territory overnight, underscoring Moscow's intention to press on with the war. 'We anticipate that in the coming days the Russian army may try to increase pressure and strikes against Ukrainian positions in order to create more favorable political circumstances for talks with global actors,' Zelenskiy said on X. With assistance from Josh Wingrove, Natalia Drozdiak, Stephan Kahl, Arne Delfs, Ros Krasny and Eric Martin. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German vice-chancellor denies change in restrictions on long-range strikes for Ukraine
German Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil has stated that there have been no new agreements within the government coalition regarding a change of course on lifting restrictions on long-range strikes by Ukraine against Russian territory. Source: German news channel ntv, as reported by European Pravda Details: Klingbeil, a member of the Social Democratic Party, denied that there had been a change of course concerning the firing range limitations on weapons supplied from Germany to Ukraine. "Regarding the range, I want to say again that there are no new agreements going beyond what the previous government did," he said in response to a question during a press conference in Berlin. Background: Former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, also from the Social Democrats, opposed the idea that Ukraine could conduct long-range strikes on Russian territory. Current Chancellor Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative CDU party, stated on 26 May that there are no longer "any restrictions" on long-range strikes using weapons supplied to Ukraine by the UK, France, Germany and the US. However, it is unclear whether Merz's statements contain new information or if he is referring to previously known cases from autumn 2024 of Western missiles being used against Russian territory. Merz said that the lifting of range restrictions was the subject of his talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a joint visit to Kyiv two weeks ago. In the past, Merz has expressed support for supplying Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, but he has made no comments regarding possible deliveries of these missiles to Kyiv since coming to power in early May. Meanwhile, Merz's government has decided to limit public information about which weapon systems it will supply to Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Indian Express
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Germany will stop reporting arms deliveries to Ukraine, Merz says
The German government will stop publishing details of military aid to Ukraine, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Saturday during a visit to Kyiv. Sources with knowledge of the matter had earlier told Reuters that public information about the delivery of weapons systems to Ukraine was to be reduced to achieve 'strategic ambiguity' and prevent Russia gaining any strategic advantages. 'Under my leadership, the debate about arms deliveries, caliber, weapons systems and so on will be taken out of the public eye,' Merz told RTL/ntv broadcasters in Kyiv. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Germany's government initially reported sporadically on military aid to Kyiv. Under pressure from parliamentarians and media, it later started publishing an updated list of systems and goods supplied. Merz, who took office on Tuesday, said Germany's commitment to supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russia's invasion would not change. 'Germany will continue to expand its financial support. I am counting on you (…) to do the same with us,' Merz said, addressing other European leaders at a meeting in Kyiv.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More than half of Germans believe Ukraine should be ready for territorial concessions for peace with Russia
The results of the Forsa survey for ntv show that 54% of Germans believe that Ukraine should be prepared to cede part of its territory if necessary to achieve peace with Russia. Source: German TV news channel ntv, as reported by European Pravda Details: 54% of respondents think that Ukraine should be ready to cede the occupied territories to Russia if required for a peace agreement. Meanwhile, 36% – primarily supporters of the Greens – believe that Ukraine should not make such concessions. Among supporters of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, 52% back territorial concessions, while 43% oppose them. Among Social Democratic Party (SPD) supporters, 46% favour Ukraine's readiness for concessions, while 40% are against it. CDU/CSU and SPD are currently engaged in talks regarding the formation of a future government. Among supporters of the pro-Russian Alternative for Germany (AfD), 71% say Ukraine should be ready for territorial concessions (16% oppose). A similar view is held by 50% of Left Party supporters (40% oppose). Background: Michael Waltz, US President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor, said that Ukraine could lose territory as part of the agreement to end the war in exchange for "future security guarantees, the future status of Ukraine". On 10 March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Ukraine would have to make concessions on the territories Russia has occupied since 2014 as part of any ceasefire agreement. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
