65 h. ago European unity against Putin in peril if Trump moves to ease sanctions

EU’s hopes of US increasing pressure on Kremlin have been dashed, and Hungary could yet make situation worseEuropean leaders – who have promised to impose “massive” new sanctions on Russia after Vladimir Putin’s rejection of a ceasefire in Ukraine – face the prospect of having to introduce their planned expansion of economic restrictions on the Russian war economy without the United States.European hopes that Donald Trump might increase the pressure on the Kremlin were dashed after the US president’s two-hour inconclusive phone call with Putin on Monday. Trump did not follow through on previous threats to introduce “large-scale” sanctions on Russia if there was no ceasefire, but instead extolled the prospect of restarting trade with Moscow. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Zelenskyy urges more pressure on Russia after no ceasefire agreed in Trump

Ukrainian president says ‘pressure on Russia will push it toward real peace’Trump and Putin hold phone call but Kremlin refuses ceasefireEU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Tuesday called for the United States to take “strong action” against Russia if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.“America said that if Russia doesn’t agree on an unconditional ceasefire, then there are going to be consequences. So we want to see those consequences, also from the US side,” Kallas said at a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels.Putin is clearly playing for time, unfortunately we have to say Putin is not really interested in peace. Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago Russia and Ukraine agree prisoner swap but peace talks fail to make progress

Apart from agreeing to swap 1,000 prisoners each, Moscow sticks to maximalist demands in IstanbulRussia and Ukraine have agreed to a large-scale prisoner exchange but failed to reach a breakthrough during their first direct peace talks since 2022, held in Istanbul without either Vladimir Putin or Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Sitting down under pressure from the US president, Donald Trump, Ukraine had pushed for a 30-day ceasefire before the talks. Moscow rejected this, appearing to stick to its maximalist demands, including sweeping restrictions on Ukrainian sovereignty. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago The Trump effect: Germany makes bombshell NATO spending announcement following pressure from US president

Germany's new government surprised NATO allies on Thursday by putting forward plans to boost defence spending.

Politics

8 d. ago Starmer’s former economic adviser warns Reeves will have to raise taxes

Labour prime minister and chancellor under pressure as US President Donald Trump’s tariffs continue to hit the UK, despite last week’s trade deal

Events

1 week ago Vladimir Putin issued peace talks warning as European foreign leaders meet in London

Ukraine's allies on Monday joined together to pile pressure on Russian President Putin, calling on him to show "without delay” he is willing to broker peace in Ukraine

Events

1 week ago Setback for Europe after Trump insists Ukraine has ‘immediate’ peace talks with Russia

Zelenskyy had no choice but to accept Putin’s invitation to talks, diplomats sayEurope live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s social media post insisting Ukraine must immediately start peace talks with Russia has set back, and possibly jeopardised, Europe’s carefully laid plans to persuade the US to impose sanctions on Moscow for refusing the US president’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, European diplomats have said.Volodymyr Zelenskyy had no choice but to accept Vladimir Putin’s invitation to talks in Istanbul on Thursday for fear of offending Trump, diplomats said. Putin made the offer in a bid not to alienate the US president, and avoid the growing European pressure on Trump to impose harsher sanctions. Western diplomats say they have no reason to believe that Trump acted in collusion with the Russian leader. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Trump vows to lower drug prices in the US by up to 80 per cent

President promises to defy industry pressure and dramatically cut cost of pharmaceuticals

Politics

1 week ago Zelenskyy challenges Putin to meet in person for peace talks

Ukrainian president proposes face-to-face meeting after Russian leader suggests he is open to talks in TurkeyUkraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has challenged Vladimir Putin to meet in person for peace talks in Istanbul on Thursday and urged Russia to accept a 30-day truce, in a dramatic turn after a weekend of diplomatic flurry.His comments came after the US president, Donald Trump, pressured him to agree “immediately” to Putin’s offer of negotiations this week with Russia, but upped the stakes by suggesting the enemies meet “personally”. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Mike Pence rebukes Trump over tariffs and ‘wavering’ support for Ukraine

Former vice-president says tariffs ‘not a win for the American people’ and predicts public pressure will growDonald Trump’s tariffs policy will trigger a “price shock” and possible shortages, and lead to public pressure on him to change his approach, the former vice-president Mike Pence has said.In one of his most wide-ranging critiques yet on the policies of the president he used to serve, Pence, speaking to CNN, derided the White House’s “wavering” support for Ukraine and declared – in direct contradiction of repeated assurances from Trump – that President Vladimir Putin of Russia “doesn’t want peace”. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Trump to step up immigration crackdown with extra powers for law enforcement – US politics live

Press secretary says president also to sign executive orders increasing pressure on sanctuary cities and statesHere is an extract from The Atlantic’s piece on Trump’s first 100 days – in an interview secured after initially being canceled by the president over previous reporting from the journalists, who then reached the president on his cellphone – detailing some of the key development’s of his second term so far.The president seemed exhilarated by everything he had managed to do in the first two months of his second term: He had begun a purge of diversity efforts from the federal government; granted clemency to nearly 1,600 supporters who had participated in the invasion of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, including those caught beating police officers on camera; and signed 98 executive orders and counting (26 of them on his first day in office). He had fired independent regulators; gutted entire agencies; laid off great swaths of the federal workforce; and invoked 18th-century ...

Politics

4 w. ago Why Zelensky may fear being dragged into a boxing match with Kyiv’s mayor

A growing rivalry between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vitali Klitschko could weaken the president’s position as pressure mounts for ceasefire, writes chief international correspondent Bel Trew

Politics

4 w. ago Top international official in Bosnia cuts financing for ruling Serb parties to pressure separatists

The top international official in Bosnia has cut all budgetary financing for ruling political parties in the Serb-run part of the country, adding pressure on the entity’s pro-Russian president who is wanted over his separatist policies

Politics