38 h. ago Putin persists, Trump dithers – and a just peace for Ukraine still seems a long way off | Olga Chyzh

The US president could embrace the role of peacemaker, or become the patsy who restored Russia’s imperial standingThe past few weeks have seen a flurry of activity billed as progress in the Russia-Ukraine peace process. Yet for Ukrainians, the reality remains unchanged: airstrikes still thunder across their cities, homes still burn, lives are still lost. Against this grim backdrop, the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, has seemed more than content to bask in the literal red-carpet treatment afforded by the president of the United States.Donald Trump, who has anointed himself mediator of this war, has nearly exhausted the lexicon of contradiction. Some days he proclaims that he alone can end this war. Then he insists that peace talks should be left to the two parties. At times he boasts that Putin “respects” him; at others, he castigates Putin for “going absolutely crazy”. This month, Trump vacillated between putting US troops on the table and ruling it out. Now he is reportedly consid...

Politics

50 h. ago Trump suggests Putin and Zelensky 'may have to fight longer' before talks can happen as he casts doubt on peace progress

Trump conducted high stakes meetings with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he seeks to restore peace to the region.

Politics

4 d. ago The Guardian view on Russia’s strike on Kyiv: Putin is testing Trump’s will and Europe’s resolve | Editorial

The Kremlin sent a clear message with its lethal overnight raid on the Ukrainian capital. Will the US heed it?Wednesday night brought a grim return to Russia’s form: one of the heaviest air raids on Kyiv since the full-scale invasion began. Moscow eased off its strikes on major cities in the run-up to the Alaska summit, and it held off its attack on the Ukrainian capital until Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy, had finished his visit there. But within hours of his departure, at least 18 people, including several children, were dead in an attack on a residential block, and the European Union mission had been severely damaged.Donald Trump periodically suggests that he is drawing a line for Vladimir Putin. Yet each time he appears to set a limit, the Russian president breezes through it. The Kyiv attack shows that it is Mr Putin who is testing the US president. Mr Trump threatened “severe consequences” if Moscow did not immediately agree to a ceasefire – but in Anchora...

Politics

1 week ago Trump again mulls Russia sanctions as Ukraine peace remains elusive one week after Alaska summit

Russia’s foreign minister says no meeting planned between Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr ZelenskyyDonald Trump renewed a threat to impose sanctions on Russia if there was no progress toward a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, as Moscow said there remained “no meeting planned” between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.“I’m going to make a decision as to what we do and it’s going to be a very important decision, and that’s whether or not it’s massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both, or we do nothing and say it’s your fight,” Trump said, showing apparent frustration at Moscow a week after his meeting with Putin in Alaska. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Justice department releases transcripts of Ghislaine Maxwell interview with deputy attorney general – live

Transcripts and audio recordings from Maxwell’s interviews with deputy attorney general Todd Blanche released As we bring you more information about the reported FBI raid on John Bolton’s Maryland home, it’s worth pointing out that Bolton was stripped of his security clearance when Trump started his second term in office. The president also got rid of Bolton’s government detail, despite being the target of an assassination plot due to Bolton’s criticism of the Iranian regime.Bolton served as Trump’s third national security adviser in his first term in office, but has since become a vocal critic of the president. Less than an hour ago, a post from Bolton’s X account critiqued the state of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. “Russia has not changed its goal: drag Ukraine into a new Russian Empire,” he wrote. “Meanwhile, meetings will continue because Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize, but I don’t see these talks making any progress.” Continue reading...

Society

1 week ago Trump threatens to send troops to Chicago and says he could bring in ‘regular military’ to Washington DC – live

US president attacks Democrat-run cities as he also says Putin might come to US World Cup and confirms $2bn request to Congress to ‘beautify’ capitalAs we bring you more information about the reported FBI raid on John Bolton’s Maryland home, it’s worth pointing out that Bolton was stripped of his security clearance when Trump started his second term in office. The president also got rid of Bolton’s government detail, despite being the target of an assassination plot due to Bolton’s criticism of the Iranian regime.Bolton served as Trump’s third national security adviser in his first term in office, but has since become a vocal critic of the president. Less than an hour ago, a post from Bolton’s X account critiqued the state of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. “Russia has not changed its goal: drag Ukraine into a new Russian Empire,” he wrote. “Meanwhile, meetings will continue because Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize, but I don’t see these talks making any progress.” Continue ...

Events

1 week ago Recap: Putin suggests hosting Zelensky peace meeting in Moscow during Trump phone call but offer is swiftly rejected

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky will meet, Donald Trump has said after a White House summit with European leaders aimed at bringing an end to the Ukraine war.

Politics

2 w. ago Amid the chaos after the fall of Kabul, two men became my lifeline | Shadi Khan Saif

Exactly four years later, our reunion in the safety of my new home in Melbourne was sweetSitting cross-legged on a richly patterned Afghan rug in a Melbourne living room, we chatted for hours, reflecting on the fall of Kabul four years ago that brought us together and nurtured a bond of friendship across continents.We had first connected in the chaos of August 2021, when the fall of Kabul shattered decades of fragile progress towards democracy, freedom and peace in Afghanistan. Our reunion this winter in Melbourne should have been pure joy – a celebration of survival and friendship – but it began in the quiet rows of a Muslim graveyard. We were there for the funeral of our mutual friend, Barez. Continue reading...

Events