Zelenskyy: Trump supports ceasefire and security guarantees for Ukraine at Putin summit
BERLIN — European leaders met virtually with President Trump today, urging him to press Russian President Vladimir Putin for a ceasefire and security guarantees for Ukraine before any peace talks begin. The Trump-Putin meeting is set for Friday in Alaska — without Ukraine’s president at the table.
At a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Trump agreed that Russia must commit to those terms before negotiations start. Merz said Europe, NATO, and Trump were “in broad agreement” on next steps — including rejecting legal recognition of Russian-occupied territory.
Loading…
Merz warned that Europe’s security and democracy are at stake if Russia’s invasion goes unchallenged, saying Putin could target other nations if allowed to keep land taken by force.
“The strategy is based on supporting Ukraine and putting pressure on Russia. So, if in Alaska there’s no movement on the Russian side, then the US and the Europeans need to increase the pressure.“
Speaking later at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Trump called the meeting “friendly” and rated it “a 10.” He said there’s “a very good chance” of a follow-up summit with Putin and Zelenskyy “almost immediately” if Friday’s talks go well — but also warned that “very severe consequences” await Russia if there’s no ceasefire deal.
Still, Trump acknowledged he doesn’t believe he can stop Putin from targeting civilians, casting doubt on the chances for a quick truce.
“I’ve had a lot of good conversations with him. Then I go home and I see that a rocket hit a nursing home, or a rocket hit an apartment building, and people are laying dead in the state. So, I guess the answer to that is no, because I’ve had this conversation
Putin now controls nearly 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea and most of four eastern regions. He is demanding Ukraine withdraw from remaining territory there and abandon plans to join NATO — demands Kyiv calls unconstitutional and unacceptable.
Claudette Colvin, who refused to move seats on a bus at start of civil rights movement, dies
Civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin has died. She was 86. Her 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus helped spark the modern civil rights movement.
Claudette Colvin, who refused to move seats on a bus at start of civil rights movement, dies at 86
Colvin, at age 15, was arrested nine months before Rosa Parks gained international fame for also refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus.
Republicans say Clintons risk contempt of Congress for not testifying on Epstein
House Republicans are seeking testimony as part of their investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Clintons say they've already provided in writing what little they know.
FTC accuses AI search engine of ‘rampant consumer deception’
Federal officials say a company that operates hundreds of landing pages for AI answers is running an operation that has duped thousands of users, who were unable to stop costly monthly charges.
How Minnesota faith communities are resisting aggressive immigration operations
As immigration enforcement actions have ramped up in Minnesota, people of faith have been at the forefront of the response to ICE detentions and the killing of Renee Macklin Good by a federal agent.
‘My role was making movies that mattered,’ says Jodie Foster, as ‘Taxi Driver’ turns 50
Foster was just 12 years old when she starred in the 1976 film. "What luck to have been part of that, our golden age of cinema in the '70s," she says. Her latest film is Vie Privée (A Private Life).
