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Hamas Agrees To 60-Day Ceasefire Proposal With Israel
Hamas has accepted a 60-day ceasefire proposal with Israel, which entails releasing half of the hostages held in Gaza and Israel freeing some Palestinian prisoners, according to an Egyptian official source on Monday.
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim confirmed the group’s approval of the proposal, writing on Facebook: “The movement has handed over its approval to the new proposal presented by the mediators.”
Israeli media quoted Israeli sources as saying the Hamas response had been received.
There was no official response from Israel, but in a video from his office, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “I, like you, hear the reports in the media, and from them you can get one impression – Hamas is under immense pressure.”
The Egyptian official source stated that the agreement included a suspension of Israeli military operations for 60 days and outlined a framework for a comprehensive deal to end the nearly two-year conflict.
Proposal Mirrors Witkoff Plan
A source familiar with the negotiations said the proposal closely mirrored an earlier plan put forward by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, which Israel had accepted.
The mediators met Hamas representatives in Cairo on Sunday, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister, joined the discussions on Monday and met both Egyptian President el-Sisi and Hamas representatives, said an official briefed on the meetings.
Israel’s plans to seize control of Gaza City have stirred alarm abroad and at home, where tens of thousands of Israelis on Sunday held some of the largest protests since the war began, urging a deal to end the fighting and free the remaining 50 hostages held in Gaza since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Israeli officials believe 20 are alive.
In an apparent show of force late on Monday, Israeli tanks advanced into the Sabra neighbourhood in the heart of Gaza City, according to witnesses who counted the presence of at least nine tanks and bulldozers.
Israel approved the plan to take control of Gaza City earlier this month, but officials had said it could take weeks to start, leaving the door open for a ceasefire, even though Netanyahu had said it would get underway “fairly quickly” and end the war with Hamas’ defeat.
Palestinians Fleeing Gaza City
Thousands of Palestinians, fearing an imminent Israeli ground offensive, have left their homes in eastern areas of Gaza City, now under constant Israeli bombardment, for points to the west and south in the shattered territory.
Netanyahu has described Gaza City as Hamas’ last big urban bastion. But, with Israel already holding 75% of Gaza, the military has warned that expanding the offensive could endanger hostages still alive and draw troops into protracted and deadly guerrilla warfare.
Dani Miran, whose son Omri was taken hostage on October 7, said he feared the consequences of an Israeli ground offensive in Gaza City. “I’m scared that my son would be hurt,” he told Reuters in Tel Aviv on Monday.
In Gaza City, many Palestinians have also been calling for protests to demand an end to a war that has demolished much of the territory and for Hamas to intensify talks to avert the Israeli ground offensive.
An Israeli armoured incursion into Gaza City could displace hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom have been uprooted multiple times during the war.
Ahmed Mheisen, Palestinian shelter manager in Beit Lahiya, a war-devastated suburb abutting eastern Gaza City, said 995 families had departed the area in recent days for the south.
“I am heading south because I need to ease my mental state,” Mousa Obaid, a Gaza City resident, told Reuters. “I do not want to keep moving left and right endlessly. There is no life left, and as you can see, living conditions are hard, prices are high, and we have been without work for over a year and a half.”
Ceasefire Talks
The last round of indirect ceasefire talks ended in deadlock in late July, with the sides trading blame for its collapse.
Israel has said it will agree to cease hostilities if all the hostages are released and Hamas lays down its arms – the latter demand publicly rejected by the Islamist group until a Palestinian state is established.
A Hamas official told Reuters earlier on Monday that the group rejected Israeli demands to disarm or expel its leaders from Gaza.
Sharp differences also appeared to remain over the extent of an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and how humanitarian aid will be delivered around the enclave, where malnutrition is rife and aid groups warn of unfolding famine.
U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform on Monday: “We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be.”
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
More than 61,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Israel’s ensuing air and ground war in Gaza, according to local health officials who do not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants.
Five more Palestinians have died of malnutrition and starvation in the past 24 hours, the Gaza health ministry said on Monday, raising the number of people who died of those causes to 263, including 112 children, since the war started.
(With inputs from Reuters)
White House Talks: Trump Assures Zelenskyy Of US Help For Ukraine’s Security In A Peace Deal
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday stated that the United States would “help out” Europe in ensuring Ukraine’s security as part of any agreement to end Russia’s war, during a hastily arranged White House meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a potential path to peace.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office with Zelenskyy seated beside him, Trump also expressed hope that Monday’s summit could eventually lead to a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that he believes Putin wants the war to end.
White House Talks
Zelenskyy and a group of European leaders arrived in Washington, facing increased pressure from Trump to reach a resolution to end the war on terms more favourable to Moscow, after Trump and Putin met in Alaska on Friday for nearly three hours.
“We need to stop this war, to stop Russia, and we need support – American and European partners,” Zelenskyy told reporters.
Trump greeted Zelenskyy outside the White House, shaking his hand and expressing delight at Zelenskyy’s black suit, a departure from his typical military clothes. When a reporter asked Trump what his message was to the people of Ukraine, he said twice, “We love them.”
Zelenskyy thanked him, and Trump put his hand on Zelenskyy’s back in a show of affection before the two men went inside to the Oval Office, where their last meeting in February ended in disaster after Trump dressed Zelenskyy down in front of television cameras.
This time, the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and NATO joined Zelenskyy to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine and push for strong security guarantees in any post-war settlement.
Trump is pressing for a quick end to Europe’s deadliest war in 80 years, and Kyiv and its allies worry he could seek to force an agreement on Russia’s terms after the president on Friday in Alaska rolled out the red carpet – literally – for Putin, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
The European leaders will meet with Trump afterwards in the White House’s East Room at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT), according to the White House. Such a high-level gathering at the White House on such short notice appears to be unprecedented in recent times.
‘Cynical’ Effort
Russian attacks overnight on Ukrainian cities killed at least 10 people, in what Zelenskyy called a “cynical” effort to undermine talks.
Trump has rejected accusations that the Alaska summit had been a win for Putin, who has faced diplomatic isolation since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“I know exactly what I’m doing, and I don’t need the advice of people who have been working on all of these conflicts for years, and were never able to do a thing to stop them,” Trump wrote on social media.
Trump’s team has said there will have to be compromises on both sides to end the conflict. But the president himself has put the burden on Zelenskyy to end the war, saying Ukraine should give up hopes of getting back Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, or of joining the NATO military alliance.
Zelenskyy “can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump said on social media.
Putin’s Proposals
Zelenskyy has already all but rejected the outline of Putin’s proposals from the Alaska meeting. Those include handing over the remaining quarter of its eastern Donetsk region, which is largely controlled by Russia. Ukrainian forces are deeply dug into the region, whose towns and hills serve as a crucial defensive zone to stymie Russian attacks.
Any concession of Ukrainian territory would have to be approved by a referendum.
Zelenskyy is also seeking an immediate ceasefire to conduct deeper peace talks, a position that his European allies have also backed. Trump previously favoured that idea but reversed course after the summit with Putin, instead indicating support for Russia’s preference to negotiate a comprehensive deal while fighting rumbles on.
Ukraine and its allies have taken heart from some developments, including Trump’s apparent willingness to provide post-settlement security guarantees for Ukraine. A German government spokesperson said on Monday that European leaders would seek more details on that in the talks in Washington.
The war, which began with a full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022, has killed or wounded more than a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts, and destroyed wide swaths of the country.
Russia has been slowly grinding forward on the battlefield, pressing its advantages in men and firepower. Putin says he is ready to continue fighting until his military objectives are achieved.
Drone Strikes Continue
Officials in Ukraine said a drone attack on a residential complex in the northern city of Kharkiv killed at least seven people, including a toddler and her 16-year-old brother. Strikes in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia killed three people, they said.
Russia says it does not deliberately target civilians, and the Defence Ministry’s daily report did not refer to any strike on Kharkiv.
Local resident Olena Yakusheva said the attack hit an apartment block that was home to many families. “There are no offices here or anything else; we lived here peacefully in our homes,” she said.
Ukraine’s military said on Monday that its drones had struck an oil pumping station in Russia’s Tambov region, leading to the suspension of supplies via the Druzhba pipeline.
(With inputs from Reuters)
US Envoy Urges Israel To Follow Lebanon Plan To Disarm Hezbollah
Top U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack said on Monday that Israel should comply with a plan stipulating that Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah would be disarmed by the end of the year, in exchange for a cessation of Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.
The plan sets out a phased roadmap for armed groups to hand in their arsenals as Israel’s military halts ground, air and sea operations and withdraws troops from Lebanon’s south.
Lebanon’s cabinet approved the plan’s objectives earlier this month despite Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm, and Barrack said it was now Israel’s turn to cooperate.
“There’s always a step-by-step approach, but I think the Lebanese government has done their part. They’ve taken the first step. Now what we need is Israel to comply with that equal handshake,” Barrack told reporters in Lebanon after meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Barrack described the cabinet decree as a “Lebanese decision that requires Israel’s cooperation” and said the United States was “in the process of now discussing with Israel what their position is” but provided no further details.
Phase-1 Plan
Under phase 1 of the plan, which was seen by Reuters, the Lebanese government would issue a decision committing to Hezbollah’s full disarmament by the end of the year, and Israel would cease military operations in Lebanese territory.
But Israel has continued strikes against Lebanon in the weeks since the cabinet approved the plan.
In a written statement after his meeting with Barrack, Aoun said that “other parties” now needed to commit to the roadmap’s contents.
Calls for Hezbollah to disarm have mounted since a war with Israel last year killed 5,000 of the group’s fighters and much of its top brass and left swathes of southern Lebanon in ruins.
But the group has resisted the pressure, refusing to discuss its arsenal until Israel ends its strikes and withdraws troops from southern Lebanon.
On Friday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem raised the spectre of civil war, warning there would be “no life” in Lebanon should the state attempt to confront or eliminate the group.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Pakistan Resumes Flood Rescue Efforts As Death Toll Crosses 300
Officials reported that heavy rain in northwest Pakistan temporarily halted rescue and relief efforts for several hours on Monday before they resumed in the region, where flash floods have killed more than 300 people since Friday.
The intense rain has claimed lives and spread destruction in several northern districts, with most people killed in flash floods, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.
In hilly areas, the rains caused flash floods as well as mud and rock slides that washed away houses, buildings, vehicles and belongings.
‘Doomsday Scenario’
“It was like a doomsday scenario,” 24-year-old university student Sahil Khan told Reuters TV, describing the flash floods. “Everybody is scared. Children are scared. They cannot sleep.”
Buner district was the worst hit, with over 200 deaths.
Heavy rain in the flood-hit areas, including Buner, forced rescue teams to halt relief efforts for several hours on Monday, a regional government officer, Abid Wazir, told Reuters.
“Our priority is now to clear the roads, set up bridges and bring relief to the affected people,” he said.
Residents in Buner’s Bayshonai Kalay village panicked and ran to higher ground after a water channel that had earlier overflowed and caused major devastation started swelling with the fresh rain on Monday, according to Reuters witnesses.
Rescuers from the local government, the disaster management authority, and the army used excavator machines to clear the roads and streets from mud, fallen trees and electric poles.
Relief goods have been sent to the affected areas, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a recorded video statement on Monday.
Food, medicine, blankets, camps, an electric generator and de-watering pumps are included in the relief goods, the authority said in a statement.
Buner, a three-and-a-half-hour drive from the capital Islamabad, was hit by a cloudburst, a rare phenomenon in which more than 100 mm (4 inches) of rain falls within an hour in a small area, officials said.
In Buner, there was more than 150 mm of rain within an hour on Friday morning, they said.
More Rains Predicted
More heavy rain was expected across Pakistan until early September, officials said.
“The current weather system is active over the Pakistan region and may cause heavy to very heavy rainfall during the next 24 hours,” the disaster management authority said on Sunday.
Torrential rains and flooding this monsoon season have killed 657 people across Pakistan since late June, it said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Israel Cancels Visas Of Australian Diplomats Following Palestinian State Recognition
Israel’s foreign minister announced on Monday that visas granted to Australian diplomats working with the Palestinian Authority had been revoked, a move taken in response to Canberra’s recognition of a Palestinian state and its cancellation of an Israeli lawmaker’s visa.
The Australian government said it had cancelled the visa of a lawmaker from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition who has advocated against Palestinian statehood and called for Israel to annex the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Australia’s ambassador to Israel had been informed that the visas of representatives to the Palestinian Authority had been revoked.
Like many countries, Australia maintains an embassy to Israel in Tel Aviv and a representative office to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
“I also instructed the Israeli Embassy in Canberra to carefully examine any official Australian visa application for entry to Israel,” Saar wrote on X, describing Australia’s refusal to grant visas to some Israelis as “unjustifiable”.
Australia’s government did not immediately comment.
The Palestinian foreign ministry issued a statement condemning Israel’s decision as illegal and “in violation of international law.
Australia is set to recognise a Palestinian state next month, a move it says it hopes will contribute to international momentum towards a two-state solution, a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.
Invitation By Jewish Organisation
Simcha Rothman, a parliamentarian from the Religious Zionism party led by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, had been scheduled to visit Australia this month at the invitation of a conservative Jewish organisation.
Rothman said he was told his visa had been cancelled over remarks the Australian government considered controversial and inflammatory, including his assertion that Palestinian statehood would lead to the destruction of the state of Israel and his call for Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank.
“Nothing that I said personally has not been said over and over again by the vast majority of the public in Israel and the Government of Israel,” Rothman said.
Rothman said he had been informed that his views would cause unrest among Australian Muslims. Asked about Canberra’s decision on Palestinian statehood, Rothman said that would be a “grave mistake and a huge reward for Hamas and for terror”.
Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke said in an emailed statement that the government takes a hard line on those who seek to spread division in Australia, and that anyone coming to promote a message of hate and division was not welcome.
“Under our government, Australia will be a country where everyone can be safe, and feel safe,” he said.
The Home Affairs Ministry declined further comment.
Rothman had been invited by the Australian Jewish Association to meet members of the Jewish community and show solidarity in the face of “a wave of antisemitism,” AJA Chief Executive Robert Gregory said.
In June, Australia and four other countries imposed sanctions on Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over accusations of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
(With inputs from Reuters)
China Says Taiwan Is An Internal Matter Following Trump’s Remarks On Xi Jinping
Beijing’s foreign ministry stated on Monday that Taiwan is an internal matter for China, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him he would not invade the island while Trump remains in office.
Trump made the comments in an interview with Fox News, ahead of talks in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Moscow’s war with Ukraine.
Asked about Trump’s remarks at a daily news briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory.
‘Purely An Internal Affair’
“The Taiwan issue is purely an internal affair of China, and how to resolve the Taiwan issue is a matter for the Chinese people,” she said.
“We will do our utmost to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification. But we will never allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from China in any way.”
China views Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to “reunify” with the democratic and separately governed island. Taiwan vehemently opposes China’s sovereignty claims.
On Sunday, in its response to what Trump had said, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it “always closely monitors interactions between senior officials from the United States and China”.
‘Significant’ Indo-Pacific Interests
Taiwan will continue to work with countries that have “significant interests” in the Indo-Pacific region to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the ministry added.
The United States is Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier, despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties.
China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control, regularly describes Taiwan as the most important and sensitive topic in its relations with the United States.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Norway Crown Princess’s Son Charged With Rape
Norway Crown Princess’s son has been booked for rape, domestic violence, assault, and other offences after a year-long probe, a public prosecutor said on Monday.
Marius Borg Hoiby, 28, son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson to Crown Prince Haakon, is expected to stand trial early next year and could face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of the most serious charges, the prosecutor said.
Hoiby denies the most serious accusations against him but plans to plead guilty to some lesser charges in court when the trial starts, his lawyer Petar Sekulic told Reuters.
Not A Royal
“He does not agree with the claims regarding rape and domestic violence,” Sekulic said of his client.
Hoiby does not have a royal title and is outside the line of royal succession.
“It is up to the courts to hear this case and to reach a decision,” the royal palace said in a statement.
Police in November 2024 held Hoiby in detention for one week as part of the investigation.
Dozens Of Offences
He was charged on Monday with 32 criminal offences, including one count of rape with sexual intercourse and three counts of rape without intercourse, some of which he filmed on his telephone, the prosecution said.
“It’s up to the judges to decide if he is guilty,” Prosecutor Sturla Henriksboe told a press conference.
Police in August last year named Hoiby as a suspect of physical assault against a woman with whom he had been in a relationship.
Hoiby, in a statement to the media at the time, admitted to causing bodily harm to the woman while he was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol and of damaging her apartment. Hoiby said he regretted his acts.
Hoiby is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a relationship prior to her marriage in 2001 to Crown Prince Haakon, Norway’s future king.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Australia Revokes Visa Of Far-Right Israeli Lawmaker
Australia has cancelled the visa of an Israeli lawmaker belonging to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, who has publicly advocated against Palestinian statehood and repeatedly called for Israel to annexe the occupied West Bank.
Simcha Rothman, a Knesset member from the Religious Zionism party led by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, was scheduled to visit Sydney and Melbourne this month at the invitation of a local conservative Jewish organisation.
Australia is among the countries set to recognise a Palestinian state next month, a decision that Rothman said would be a “grave mistake and a huge reward for Hamas and for terror”.
Sanctions Target Israeli Officials
In June, Australia, along with four other nations, including Britain, sanctioned Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over accusations of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Rothman said that he was informed his visa had been cancelled due to remarks the Australian government considered controversial and inflammatory, including his claim that Palestinian statehood would lead to the destruction of the State of Israel and his call for Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank.
“Nothing that I said personally has not been said over and over again by the vast majority of the public in Israel and the Government of Israel,” Rothman told Reuters by phone on Monday.
Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, said in an emailed statement that the government takes a hard line on those who seek to spread division in Australia, and that anyone coming to promote a message of hate and division is not welcome.
“Under our government, Australia will be a country where everyone can be safe and feel safe,” he said, without disclosing specific reasons for cancelling Rothman’s visa.
The Home Affairs Ministry declined further comment.
Rothman, who chairs a parliamentary committee that deals with judicial matters, was invited by the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) to meet members of the Jewish community.
AJA Chief Executive Robert Gregory said that the purpose of Rothman’s visit was “to show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community, which is facing a wave of antisemitism,” and that during his visit, he was to meet with victims of antisemitism.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Google, Kairos Power To Build Nuclear Plant In Tennessee
Google, in collaboration with Kairos Power, has chosen Tennessee as the location for a next-generation nuclear power plant. Expected to begin operations by 2030, the facility will supply electricity to Google’s data centres across the southeastern United States, the companies announced on Monday.
Big Tech is requiring massive amounts of electricity to scale up technologies like generative artificial intelligence in energy-intensive data centers. Those record energy needs are driving US power consumption to new highs and propelling the development of fresh power sources like next-generation nuclear energy.
Corporate Agreement
The Tennessee reactor is the first to be deployed as part of Google’s corporate agreement, announced last year, to buy nuclear energy from multiple small modular reactors.
The deal would support 500 megawatts of advanced nuclear capacity, which is enough to power about 350,000 homes, to be developed by California-based nuclear company Kairos.
The 50-gigawatt small modular nuclear power plant will be built in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a long-term power purchase agreement with utility Tennessee Valley Authority, to deliver electricity to Google data centers locally and in the state of Alabama.
Innovative Nuclear Tech
“This collaboration with TVA, Kairos Power, and the Oak Ridge community will accelerate the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies and help support the needs of our growing digital economy while also bringing firm carbon-free energy to the electricity system,” said Google’s Amanda Peterson Corio.
The project marks the first time a US utility has signed a power purchase agreement for so-called generation IV nuclear power, which is generally seen as the most sustainable and safe form of nuclear power technologies in development, the companies said.
Energy Secretary Weighs In
“The deployment of advanced nuclear reactors is essential to US AI dominance and energy leadership,” US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement announcing the site selection.
“The Department of Energy has assisted Kairos Power with overcoming technical, operational, and regulatory challenges as a participant in the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, and DOE will continue to help accelerate the next American nuclear renaissance,” Wright’s statement added.
Currently, there are no commercially available advanced nuclear power plants in the US.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Zelenskyy Says He Is Ready To Pursue Peace Ahead Of Trump Meeting
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his willingness to pursue an end to the conflict with Russia before his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, where he could come under pressure to accept terms favouring Moscow.
“Russia can only be forced into peace through strength, and President Trump has that strength,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media after meeting with the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg.
Zelenskyy is due to meet with Trump at 1:15 p.m. EDT (1715 GMT) in the Oval Office, where he last received a dressing-down from Trump during a disastrous visit in February.
Trump is now pressing for a quick end to Europe’s deadliest war in 80 years, and Kyiv and its allies worry he could seek to force an agreement on Russia’s terms after the president rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
Russian attacks overnight on Ukrainian cities killed at least 10 people, in what Zelenskyy called a “cynical” effort to undermine talks.
Europe’s Solidarity With Ukraine
European leaders are also flying to Washington to show solidarity with Ukraine and to press for strong security guarantees in any post-war settlement.
After meeting Zelenskyy, Trump will meet the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and NATO in the White House’s East Room at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT), the White House said.
“I know exactly what I’m doing, and I don’t need the advice of people who have been working on all of these conflicts for years, and were never able to do a thing to stop them,” Trump wrote on social media.
At the weekend, Trump rejected accusations by critics that the Alaska summit had been a win for Putin.
Trump’s team stressed on Sunday that there had to be compromises on both sides of the conflict.
However the president himself put the burden on Zelenskyy to end the war, saying Ukraine should give up hopes of getting back Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, or of joining the NATO military alliance.
Zelenskyy “can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump said on social media.
Putin’s Proposals
Zelenskyy has already all but rejected the outline of Putin’s proposals from the Alaska meeting. Those include handing over the remaining quarter of its eastern Donetsk region, which is largely controlled by Russia. Ukrainian forces are deeply dug into the region, whose towns and hills serve as a crucial defensive zone to stymie Russian attacks.
Zelenskyy is also seeking an immediate ceasefire to conduct deeper peace talks. Trump previously backed that but reversed course after the summit with Putin and indicated support for Russia’s favoured approach of negotiating a comprehensive deal while fighting rumbles on.
Ukraine and its allies have taken heart from some developments, including Trump’s apparent willingness to provide post-settlement security guarantees for Ukraine. A German government spokesperson said on Monday that European leaders would seek more details on that in the talks in Washington.
The war, which began with a full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022, has killed or wounded more than a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts.
Russia Ready To Continue Fighting
On the battlefield, Russia has been slowly grinding forward, pressing its advantages in men and firepower. Putin says he is ready to continue fighting until his military objectives are achieved.
Officials in Ukraine said a drone attack on a residential complex in the northern city of Kharkiv killed at least seven people, including a toddler and her 16-year-old brother. Strikes also hit the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing three people, they said.
Russia says it does not deliberately target civilians, and the Defence Ministry’s daily report did not refer to any strike on Kharkiv.
Local resident Olena Yakusheva said the strike hit an apartment block that was home to many families. “There are no offices here or anything else, we lived here peacefully in our homes,” she said.
Firefighters battled a blaze in the building and rescue workers dug in the rubble.
Ukraine’s military said on Monday that its drones had struck an oil pumping station in Russia’s Tambov region, leading to the suspension of supplies via the Druzhba pipeline.
(With inputs from Reuters)