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In an interview with NBC News' Andrea Mitchell, Finnish President Alexander Stubb weighed in on the attempted peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. He likened the possibility of Ukraine ceding land to Russia to the U.S. giving up multiple states.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz broke with the generally optimistic tone of European leaders during their meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump on Monday, stating that peace talks could not continue without a ceasefire. ... "Now the path is open. You opened it last Friday, but now the way is open for complicated negotiations," he said, adding, "And to be honest, we all would like to see a ceasefire at the latest from the next meeting on." "I can't imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire," he went on. "So, let's work on...

Summary Zelenskiy flies to Washington on Monday to meet Trump Merz, Macron, Starmer, Meloni, von der Leyen to accompany him Rubio sees progress but says both sides need to make concessions Putin wants swathe of Ukraine land in peace deal, sources say Putin warned Europe against 'behind-the-scenes intrigue' LONDON/KYIV, Aug 17 (Reuters) - European leaders will join Volodymyr Zelenskiy to meet Donald Trump in Washington, they said on Sunday, seeking to shore up Zelenskiy's position as the U.S. president presses Ukraine to accept a quick peace deal to end Europe's deadliest war in 80 years.Trump is leaning on Zelenskiy to...

US President Donald Trump has refused a joint meeting with European leaders and will receive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alone. This was reported by Bild, according to UNN. Details As stated in the publication, only after the one-on-one talks between the President of Ukraine and the US will representatives of the EU and NATO join them. A joint working dinner and discussion in an expanded format are planned. In addition to Merz and von der Leyen, the delegation will also include French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and...

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to “robust” security guarantees, including “effectively” offering Ukraine Article Five-like protection, during their historic Friday meeting. “We agreed to robust security guarantees that I would describe as game-changing,” Witkoff said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Witkoff explained that Russia agreed to allow the United States and other European countries to “effectively offer [Ukraine] Article Five-like language to cover a security guarantee,” referring to the provision of NATO that states an attack on one NATO member is seen as an...

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will attend the meeting of the presidents of the United States and Ukraine, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, respectively, his government spokesperson announced on Sunday. Previously, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed on X that she would attend the encounter too. The event will take place in Washington DC on Monday. The meeting would follow Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, during which they both confirmed their commitment to a swift solution to the conflict in Ukraine.

European leaders have revealed they will join Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky when he meets Donald Trump for peace talks at the White House tomorrow. Sir Keir Starmer, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and France's Emmanuel Macron will travel to Washington. Ms Von der Leyen said 'at the request of President Zelensky, I will join the meeting with President Trump and other European leaders in the White House tomorrow.' Other European leaders confirming they will go tomorrow included Finnish president Alexander Stubb, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte. Mr Zelensky's Oval...

The intellectually honest political watcher knows that overall Ukraine represents the largest international money laundering operation to shift wealth from taxpayers to the politically connected institutions, since COVID-19. The money is the motive to continue the conflict.With President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin scheduled to meet in Alaska for a summit to negotiate a ceasefire, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz quickly organizes a meeting between EU leaders and the U.K to figure out how the keep the war going.As the industrial capital of the EU, Germany has a lot at stake given the nature of their contracting economy. The EU military...

Not for the first time, European capitals are gripped with apprehension that Russian President Vladimir Putin will surgically divide the transatlantic alliance as well as get everything he wants in Ukraine.Ahead of the suddenly announced summit in Alaska on Friday between Putin and US President Donald Trump, one European diplomat, who declined to be named as they were not authorized to speak on the record, told CNN: “We are at risk of being a footnote in history.”In part, European fears are down to just how little is known about what the Kremlin has proposed in order to halt the fighting...

Shock turns into outrage. Europeans feel they’ve been duped by Donald Trump. But the trade deal merely lays bare the EU’s accelerating loss of power. Anyone familiar with German politics has long known that Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, is no political heavyweight. Her record as Germany’s family and defense minister speaks for itself. She lacks the intellectual and strategic abilities to navigate or reform complex systems. Yes, she was outplayed by Trump during the trade negotiations -- as expected. But this misses the point. What Europeans are loudly lamenting is not just a bad deal,...

The White House has warned Sir Keir Starmer to stop threatening American tech companies amid mounting backlash over Britain’s online safety law. Members of Donald Trump’s administration are monitoring the Online Safety Act with “great interest and concern” after key allies said it was censoring free speech and imposing unfair burdens on US businesses. The law, which regulates online speech, allows the British government to levy massive fines on companies like Apple, Truth Social, and X if it finds that rules on hate speech have been broken. Those in the president’s inner circle see the potential penalties as an unwarranted...

Amid disastrous green diktats and crippling cuts to farmers’ livelihoods, the out-of-touch elites in Brussels seem to have forgotten where their food comes from. This afternoon, farmers from all over the European Union met outside the European Parliament to march on the Berlaymont, the European Commission’s HQ. Organised by COPA-COGECA, the umbrella body for 22 million European farmers, the demonstration should by all rights be a wake-up call for Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The unions will hand over a petition signed by 6,335 organisations, along with a symbolic pair of boots, in protest of the EU’s plans to...

President Donald Trump abruptly reversed course earlier this month when he decided to send Patriot missiles, along with other possibly offensive weaponry, to Ukraine, provided that European nations pay the United States for them. Trump also announced that he would place 100 per cent tariffs on Russia if, after 50 days, Russian President Vladimir Putin had failed to move to a ceasefire. The shift irritated some on the American Right, who wish to see Europe do more on a war which directly affects them, but it pleased the Ukrainian government and pro-Ukrainian voices in the United States. But for some...

The EU is prepared to take the necessary steps to safeguard its interests if the U.S. proceeds with imposing a 30% tariff on European goods starting Aug 1, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday. Von der Leyen, who heads the EU's executive arm, said in a statement that the bloc remained ready "to continue working towards an agreement by Aug 1". "Few economies in the world match the European Union's level of openness and adherence to fair trading practices," she continued. "We will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate...

President Donald Trump on Saturday announced he's levying tariffs of 30% against the European Union and Mexico. Trump announced the tariffs on two of the United States' biggest trade partners in letters posted to his social media account. In his letter to Mexico's leader, Trump acknowledged that the country has been helpful in stemming the flow of undocumented migrants and fentanyl into the United States. But he said the country has not done enough to stop North America from turning into a "Narco-Trafficking Playground." Trump in his letter to the European Union said that the U.S. trade deficit was a...

Last month’s NATO summit in The Hague gave off the disturbing impression of an alliance finally crossing the fine line between serious defence policy into the realm of make-believe. The main outcome was presented to the world as a “new 5 per cent defence spending pledge” by all allies. The previous target, dating from 2014, was 2 per cent. President Trump naturally claimed the new benchmark as a “big win”, with the White House calling it a “monumental victory” and a “dramatic” increase in defence contributions across the alliance. Yet hardly any of this is true. Of the 5 per...

Trump is heading to NATO for a trip lasting barely a day. It’s the pattern of his second term — attend international meetings, but don’t stay long.President Donald Trump left last week’s G-7 gathering in Canada a day early. This week he is scheduled to arrive at a NATO summit in The Hague for an abbreviated trip, arriving Tuesday and returning to the White House by Wednesday. Later this year, he may skip the G-20 in South Africa altogether. Trump has a long history of brushing off global summits — and, sometimes, physically brushing off the leaders who attend them....

To combat climate change, German towns and cities are busily implementing “heat plans”. Germany has ambitious climate neutrality goals, aiming to be climate-neutral by 2045. The lives of millions of people are at risk! The so-called Heat Planning Act went into force in January 2024 and legally obliges municipalities to develop these plans. Larger cities (over 100,000 inhabitants) have until mid-2026 to do so, and smaller towns until mid-2028. One key aspect is adapting to summer heatwaves and protecting public health. This includes measures such as public awareness campaigns about staying safe during heatwaves, establishing cooling centers and long-term urban...

In May, an American investor tried to sell top German economic officials on an audacious plan to buy a Russian undersea pipeline. Despite years of international friction over the pipeline, he proposed to eventually activate it and deliver natural gas to Germany. The investor, Stephen P. Lynch, had already made the pitch to the Trump administration, which he was betting would want U.S. control over a pivotal piece of energy infrastructure. Now the Germans wanted to hear for themselves about Mr. Lynch’s proposal to lead a takeover of the much-criticized pipeline on the floor of the Baltic Sea, called Nord...

The European Union's trade chief said the 27-member bloc is committed to securing a trade deal with the US based on "respect" not "threats". It comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to slap a 50% tariff on all goods sent to the US from the EU. "The EU's fully engaged, committed to securing a deal that works for both," EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said after a call with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. "EU-US trade is unmatched & must be guided by mutual respect, not threats. We stand ready to defend our interests."...