27 h. ago Trump tells Europe to put economic pressure on China over Ukraine

US President Donald Trump urged European countries on Thursday to put economic pressure on China because of its support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the White House said. Speaking by video conference with European leaders gathered in Paris, Trump also said “Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war”, a senior White House official said on condition of anonymity. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who also took part in the meeting, said earlier that Trump was “very...

Politics

33 h. ago Europe leaders call Trump after Ukraine security guarantees summit in Paris

European leaders on Thursday spoke to US President Donald Trump after holding a summit with President Volodymyr Zelensky on security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a peace accord to end Russia’s three-and-a-half-year war against Ukraine. The guarantees by the so-called coalition of the willing, which remain under wraps but are expected to include ramped-up training for the Ukrainian army and deployment of troops by some European states, have angered Russia. They form part of a push led by...

Politics

5 d. ago Europe is drawing up ‘precise’ plans to send troops to Ukraine: Von der Leyen

Europe is drawing up “pretty precise plans” for a multinational troop deployment to Ukraine as part of post-conflict security guarantees that will have the backing of US capabilities, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the Financial Times in an interview published on Sunday. “President Trump reassured us that there will be [an] American presence as part of the backstop. That was very clear and repeatedly affirmed,” von der Leyen told the newspaper. The deployment is set to...

Politics

5 d. ago Europe drawing up ‘precise plans’ to send troops to Ukraine: EU chief

Europe is drawing up “pretty precise plans” for a multinational troop deployment to Ukraine as part of post-conflict security guarantees that will have the backing of US capabilities, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the Financial Times in an interview published on Sunday. “President Trump reassured us that there will be [an] American presence as part of the backstop. That was very clear and repeatedly affirmed,” von der Leyen told the newspaper. The deployment is set to...

Politics

1 week ago Trump says Putin’s dislike of Zelensky delaying meeting between 2 leaders

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he had talked to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin since meeting in Washington last week with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders. Trump was last known to have spoken to Putin on August 18, when he interrupted his talks with Zelensky and the Europeans at the White House to call the Russian leader. “Yes, I have,” Trump told reporters when asked if he had talked to Putin since then. Asked how the latest talks went, Trump replied: “Every...

Politics

1 week ago Canada’s PM Carney won’t rule out Canadian troops in Ukraine

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said in Kyiv on Sunday he would not rule out the presence of Canadian troops in Ukraine as part of future proposed security guarantees, the framework of which is currently being worked out by Ukraine and its allies. Carney was speaking at a news conference alongside President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky marked Ukraine’s Independence Day on Sunday alongside Carney, who said Ukraine would receive more than C$1 billion (US$723 million) in military aid from a...

Politics

2 w. ago Russia rejects Zelensky meeting as diplomatic tension simmers

Russia on Friday ruled out an immediate meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, as diplomatic tension escalated with the Ukrainian president and US mediation efforts appeared to stumble. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said “no meeting” between Vladimir Putin and Zelensky was planned, as Nato chief Mark Rutte visited Kyiv, largely to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. US President Donald Trump raised expectations for a swift summit between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents by saying...

Politics

2 w. ago Why Japan’s support for Ukraine boosts Nato’s plan for Tokyo office

A pledge by Japan this week to provide a security guarantee for Ukraine alongside other allies is a reminder that Tokyo may be Europe’s most dependable defence partner in Asia. It also strengthens the argument for Nato to proceed with a long-discussed plan: opening a liaison office of the transatlantic security alliance in Tokyo. On Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba declared that Japan would “thoroughly discuss what our nation can and should do” in support of Ukraine, and “play an...

Politics

2 w. ago Will China be Ukraine’s security guarantor? Unlikely, despite Russia’s wishes

Resource constraints and precedent mean China is unlikely to become one of Ukraine’s security guarantors – despite Russia’s suggestion that it could, according to analysts. With rising expectations for a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, security guarantees for Kyiv have taken centre stage in discussions about a peace deal with Moscow to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. During a press conference on...

Events

2 w. ago First security guarantees, then Putin summit, Ukraine’s Zelensky says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but only after his allies agreed on security guarantees for Ukraine that would deter future Russian attacks once the fighting stops. In comments released on Thursday, he also warned both sides were preparing for further fighting, with Russia building up troops on the southern front line and Ukraine test-launching a new long-range cruise missile. US President Donald Trump is seeking to end Russia’s...

Politics

2 w. ago ‘It’s their continent’: Vance tells Europe to take lead on Ukraine’s security

US Vice-President J.D. Vance said on Wednesday that European countries will have to take the “lion’s share” of the burden of Ukraine’s security guarantees as Washington tries to broker a peace deal between Kyiv and Russia. “I don’t think we should carry the burden here. I think that we should be helpful if it’s necessary to stop the war and to stop the killing. But I think that we should expect, and the president certainly expects, Europe to play the leading role here,” Vance told Fox News’ The...

Events

2 w. ago Russia says it must be part of Ukraine talks as Nato military chiefs meet

Russia said on Wednesday it had to be part of any discussion on security guarantees for Ukraine and downplayed the likelihood of an imminent summit with President Volodymyr Zelensky, tempering hopes for a quick peace deal. Nato military chiefs, meanwhile, held a virtual summit on security guarantees for Ukraine, the latest in a flurry of global diplomacy aimed at brokering an end to the nearly three-and-a-half year conflict. “On #Ukraine, we confirmed our support. Priority continues to be a...

Events

2 w. ago A new European security landscape is emerging after Alaska summit

The Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was a test balloon for Trump to find out, as he said, what Putin had in mind. The subsequent meeting in the White House between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders was another test balloon – for Europe – to find out what Trump had in mind. Both were useful yet not really productive. To start with, Putin has emerged as a clear winner. The red-carpet welcome on American soil with...

Politics

2 w. ago For Europe and Russia, the outcome of Ukraine’s war is becoming clearer

The Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was a test balloon for Trump to find out, as he said, what Putin had in mind. The subsequent meeting in the White House between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders was another test balloon – for Europe – to find out what Trump had in mind. Both were useful yet not really productive. To start with, Putin has emerged as a clear winner. The red-carpet welcome on American soil with...

Events

2 w. ago Europe breathes sigh of relief, but doubts linger over Trump’s Ukraine pledges

European leaders left Washington on Monday with a palpable sense of relief, having avoided a breakdown with Donald Trump over Ukraine – but in the cold light of day, doubts are growing over the substance of the “breakthroughs” they claimed. After meetings with Trump that bordered on the obsequious, eight European leaders – including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – trumpeted the trip as a success. “This was the best of our meetings,” Zelensky said. “I was able to show many things, even...

Politics

2 w. ago Ukraine offers US$100 billion weapons deal to obtain US security guarantees: reports

Ukraine will promise to buy US$100 billions of US weapons financed by Europe as part of a deal to get guarantees from the United States for its security after a peace settlement with Russia, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing a document seen by the newspaper. The newspaper added that under the proposals, Ukraine and the United States would also strike a US$50 billion deal to produce drones with Ukrainian companies. US President Donald Trump said after talks with European leaders in...

Economics

2 w. ago Zelensky says Ukraine security guarantees to be ‘unpacked’ in 10 days

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday after his meeting with US President Donald Trump and European leaders that security guarantees for Kyiv is likely to be worked out within 10 days. “Security guarantees will probably be ‘unpacked’ by our partners, and more and more details will emerge. All of this will somehow be formalised on paper within the next week to 10 days,” Zelensky said at a broadcast press briefing after his meetings. Trump told Zelensky on Monday that the United...

Events

2 w. ago Zelensky warns against ‘rewarding’ Russia for Ukraine war ahead of Trump meet

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said ahead of talks with Donald Trump on Monday that Russia should not be “rewarded” for its invasion, after the US leader pressed Kyiv to make concessions in exchange for peace. The talks, in which European leaders will also take part, follow a Friday summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska that failed to produce a ceasefire in the nearly three-and-a-half-year war. Trump, who dropped his insistence on a ceasefire in favour of a...

Events