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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will sit down Sunday with Donald Trump and seek to secure the US president’s stamp of approval for a new proposal to end the nearly four-year conflict with Russia.The 20-point plan, which emerged from weeks of intense US-Ukraine negotiations, lacks Moscow’s approval, and the face-to-face in Florida comes in the wake of a massive Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv.The meeting, hosted by Trump at his opulent Mar-a-Lago residence, will be the pair’s first in-person encounter since October, when the US president refused to grant Zelensky’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles.During a stopover in Canada on Saturday, Zelensky said he hoped the talks would be “very constructive” and said Russian leader Vladimir Putin had shown his hand with the latest assault on the Ukrainian capital.”This attack is again, Russia’s answer on our peace efforts. And this really showed that Putin doesn’t want peace,” he said.- Europeans vow support -While in Canada, Zelensky held a conference call with European leaders who, according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, pledged their full support for his peace efforts. Russia has accused Ukraine and its European backers of trying to “torpedo” a previous US-brokered plan to stop the fighting.EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, who participated in the conference call, said the European Union’s backing for Ukraine would never falter and vowed to maintain pressure on the Kremlin to come to terms.Trump has so far been non-committal on the new peace proposal.Zelensky “doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” the president said in an interview with Politico on Friday. “So we’ll see what he’s got.”The talks will address a plan that would stop the war along its current front lines and could require Ukraine to pull back troops from the east, allowing the creation of demilitarized buffer zones.As such, it contains Kyiv’s most explicit acknowledgement yet of possible territorial concessions.But is does not envisage Ukraine withdrawing from the 20 percent of the eastern Donetsk region that it still controls — Russia’s main territorial demand.Trump has made ending the Ukraine and Gaza wars the centerpiece of his self-proclaimed second term as a “president of peace.” But the Ukraine war has, by his own admission, proved far harder than he expected, and the president has repeatedly voiced his frustration with both sides for failing to secure a truce.- Security guarantees -In Canada, Zelensky told reporters that security guarantees would be a key focus of the talks in Florida.”Security guarantees must be simultaneous with the end of the war, because we must be confident that Russia will not start aggression again,” he stressed.”We need strong security guarantees. We will discuss this and we will discuss the terms.”Ukraine insists it needs more European and US support in terms of funding and weaponry — especially drones.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who met with Zelensky during his stopover on Saturday, announced CAN$2.5 billion (US$1.82 billion) in fresh economic assistance to help Ukraine rebuild once the war ends.The latest Russian attack, which saw 500 drones and 40 missiles pummel the Ukrainian capital and its infrastructure, knocked out power and heating to hundreds of thousands of Kyiv region residents during freezing temperatures.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky consulted with allies on Saturday and won renewed expressions of support ahead of a meeting with US President Donald Trump, hours after Russia pummelled Kyiv with drones and missiles in its latest attack on the capital.During a stopover in Canada en route to Florida for the Trump meeting, the Ukrainian president spoke first with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.Then, in a conference call, he briefed EU, NATO and European leaders, who gave him their “full support” according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a social media post they welcomed “a just and lasting peace that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.Zelensky said the Russian onslaught showed Moscow had no intention of ending the invasion it launched in February 2022 and which has killed tens of thousands of people.”This attack is again, Russia’s answer on our peace efforts. And this really showed that Putin doesn’t want peace, and we want peace,” Zelensky said before meeting the Canadian premier.Carney said the latest Russian attack underscored the need to stand by Ukraine.”We have the conditions… of a just and lasting peace, but that requires a willing Russia, and the barbarism that we saw overnight… shows just how important it is that we stand with Ukraine,” said Carney.Russia has accused Ukraine and its European backers of trying to “torpedo” a previous US-brokered plan to stop the fighting.Adding to pressure on the battlefield, Russia announced on Saturday it had captured two more towns in eastern Ukraine, Myrnograd and Guliaipole.”If the authorities in Kyiv don’t want to settle this business peacefully, we’ll resolve all the problems before us by military means,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.- ‘They do not want to end the war’ -The overnight barrage of drones and missiles, which targeted Kyiv for about 10 hours, killed two people, wounded dozens and cut power and heating to more than a million of the region’s residents during freezing temperatures, Ukraine authorities said.Zelensky said some 500 drones and 40 missiles had pounded the capital and its surrounding region.”Russian representatives engage in lengthy talks, but in reality, Kinzhals (missiles) and Shaheds (drones) speak for them,” he said.”They do not want to end the war and seek to use every opportunity to cause Ukraine even greater suffering,” he added. Neighbouring Poland, a NATO member, scrambled jets and put air defences on alert during the attack, its military said on social media.- ‘Security guarantees should be strong’ -Sunday’s meeting in Florida is to focus on a new, 20-point plan that would freeze the war on its current front line. It could require Ukraine to pull back troops from the east, allowing the creation of demilitarised buffer zones, according to details revealed by Zelensky this week.The new plan, formulated with Ukraine’s input, is Kyiv’s most explicit acknowledgement yet of possible territorial concessions.It is a marked departure from an initial 28-point proposal by Washington last month that adhered to many of Russia’s core demands.Trump, speaking to news outlet Politico on Friday, said of Zelensky’s plan that “he doesn’t have anything until I approve it”. He added: “So we’ll see what he’s got.” Part of the plan includes separate US-Ukraine bilateral agreements on security guarantees, reconstruction and the economy.Zelensky said those were changing daily. “As for sensitive issues, we will discuss (the eastern region of) Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” he added.Zelensky said his meeting with the US leader was aimed at reducing unresolved issues to a minimum.”Of course, today there are red lines for Ukraine and Ukrainian people. There are compromise proposals. All of these issues are very sensitive,” he said on X.Meanwhile, Ukraine needed European and US support to acquire weapons and funds, both of which were insufficient, Zelensky said — “in particular for the production of weapons and, most importantly, drones”.In negotiations, Ukraine’s “most important consideration — if we take certain steps — is that security guarantees should be strong and we should be protected”, he said.Ukraine is working with the US on a roadmap for the country’s reconstruction, said Zelensky, which will require between $700 billion and $800 billion. 

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Canada Saturday for talks on his way to a meeting with US President Donald Trump, hours after Russia pummelled Kyiv with drones and missiles in its latest attack on the capital.Later Saturday, Russia also claimed fresh gains on the ground with the capture of two towns at different spots along the frontlines.Zelensky said the Russian onslaught showed Moscow had no intention of ending the invasion it launched in February 2022 and which has killed tens of thousands of people.Before scheduled talks with Trump in Florida on Sunday, Zelensky met in Halifax with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said the latest Russian attack underscored the need to stand by Ukraine.”We have the conditions… of a just and lasting peace, but that requires a willing Russia, and the barbarism that we saw overnight… shows just how important it is that we stand with Ukraine,” said Carney.Russia has accused Ukraine and its European backers of trying to “torpedo” a previous US-brokered plan to stop the fighting.Adding to pressure on the battlefield, Russia announced on Saturday it had captured two more towns in eastern Ukraine, Myrnograd and Guliaipole.”If the authorities in Kyiv don’t want to settle this business peacefully, we’ll resolve all the problems before us by military means,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.- ‘They do not want to end the war’ -The overnight barrage of drones and missiles targeting Kyiv killed two people, wounded dozens and cut power and heating to more than a million of the region’s residents during freezing temperatures, Ukraine authorities said.Some 2,600 residential buildings were hit in the attack, as well as more than 300 schools, pre-schools or social services buildings, said Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko.Zelensky said some 500 drones and 40 missiles had pounded the capital and its surrounding region.”Russian representatives engage in lengthy talks, but in reality, Kinzhals (missiles) and Shaheds (drones) speak for them,” he said.”They do not want to end the war and seek to use every opportunity to cause Ukraine even greater suffering,” he added. During the Russian onslaught, which lasted 10 hours, AFP reporters in Kyiv heard loud explosions, some accompanied by bright flashes that turned the sky orange.The Russian army said it used hypersonic missiles and drones to target infrastructure and energy facilities used by Ukraine’s military, as well as military sites. Neighbouring Poland, a NATO member, scrambled jets and put air defences on alert during the attack, its military said on social media.Just as Zelensky flew out of the country, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency announced a new probe which it said implicated some MPs.- ‘Security guarantees should be strong’ -Sunday’s meeting in Florida is to focus on a new, 20-point plan that would freeze the war on its current front line. It could require Ukraine to pull back troops from the east, allowing the creation of demilitarised buffer zones, according to details revealed by Zelensky this week.The new plan, formulated with Ukraine’s input, is Kyiv’s most explicit acknowledgement yet of possible territorial concessions.It is a marked departure from an initial 28-point proposal by Washington last month that adhered to many of Russia’s core demands.Trump, speaking to news outlet Politico on Friday, said of Zelensky’s plan that “he doesn’t have anything until I approve it”. He added: “So we’ll see what he’s got.” Part of the plan includes separate US-Ukraine bilateral agreements on security guarantees, reconstruction and the economy.Zelensky said those were changing daily. “As for sensitive issues, we will discuss (the eastern region of) Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” he added.Zelensky was to brief EU allies after his meeting with Carney.Zelensky added Saturday that the aim of the Florida talks was to reduce unresolved issues to a minimum.”Of course, today there are red lines for Ukraine and Ukrainian people. There are compromise proposals. All of these issues are very sensitive,” he said on X.Meanwhile, Ukraine needed European and US support to acquire weapons and funds, both of which were insufficient, Zelensky said — “in particular for the production of weapons and, most importantly, drones”.In negotiations, Ukraine’s “most important consideration — if we take certain steps — is that security guarantees should be strong and we should be protected”, he said.Ukraine is working with the US on a roadmap for the country’s reconstruction, said Zelensky, which will require between $700 billion and $800 billion. 

Russia pummelled Ukraine’s capital with drones and missiles on Saturday as President Volodymyr Zelensky was headed to the US to meet with President Donald Trump. Zelensky said the attack showed Russia did not want to end its invasion launched in February 2022 that has left tens of thousands dead.Ahead of Zelensky’s talks in Florida with Trump on Sunday, Russia said Kyiv and its EU backers were trying to “torpedo” a previous US-brokered plan to stop the fighting. The barrage of drones and missiles killed two people, wounded dozens and cut power and heating to hundreds of thousands of Kyiv region residents during freezing temperatures, Ukraine authorities said.Some 2,600 residential buildings were hit in the attack, as well as more than 300 schools, pre-schools or social services buildings, Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said.Zelensky said some 500 drones and 40 missiles had pounded the capital and its surrounding region.”Russian representatives engage in lengthy talks, but in reality, Kinzhals (missiles) and Shaheds (drones) speak for them,” he said. “They do not want to end the war and seek to use every opportunity to cause Ukraine even greater suffering,” he added. Just as Zelensky departed for the US, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency announced a new probe in which it said some MPs were implicated. It tried to raid parliamentary offices but was blocked by security personnel.During the Russian onslaught, which lasted 10 hours, AFP reporters in Kyiv heard loud explosions, some accompanied by bright flashes that turned the sky orange.The Russian army said it used hypersonic missiles and drones to target infrastructure and energy facilities “used in the interests of the armed forces of Ukraine”, as well as military sites. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the attack left about 600,000 people without power while authorities said apartment blocks, a university dormitory and a petrol station had been among buildings hit. Neighbouring Poland, a NATO member, scrambled jets and put air defences on alert during the attack, the Polish military said on social media.Air traffic at two airports in Poland near the Ukrainian border were temporarily suspended during the strikes, the country’s air navigation agency said.- Florida talks -Sunday’s meeting in Florida is to focus on a new, 20-point plan that would freeze the war on its current front line but could require Ukraine to pull back troops from the east, where demilitarised buffer zones could be created, according to details revealed by Zelensky this week.The new plan, formulated with Ukraine’s input, is Kyiv’s most explicit acknowledgement yet of possible territorial concessions, and differs markedly from an initial 28-point proposal by Washington last month that adhered to many of Russia’s core demands.Trump, speaking to news outlet Politico on Friday, said of Zelensky’s plan that “he doesn’t have anything until I approve it”. He added: “So we’ll see what he’s got.” Part of the plan includes separate US-Ukraine bilateral agreements on security guarantees, reconstruction and the economy. Zelensky said those were changing daily.”As for sensitive issues, we will discuss (the eastern region of) Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” he added.On the way to the US, Zelensky was making a stopover in Canada and was to speak in a video call with EU allies, he said.Zelensky added Saturday that the aim of talks was to reduce unresolved issues to a minimum.”Of course, today there are red lines for Ukraine and Ukrainian people. There are compromise proposals. All of these issues are very sensitive,” he said on X.Meanwhile, Ukraine needed European and US support to acquire weapons and funds, both of which were insufficient, Zelensky said — “in particular for the production of weapons and, most importantly, drones”.In negotiations, Ukraine’s “most important consideration — if we take certain steps — is that security guarantees should be strong and we should be protected”, he said.Zelensky added that Ukraine was working with the US on a roadmap for the country’s reconstruction which he said will require $700 billion to $800 billion.

Immediately following surprise US strikes targeting militants in Nigeria, it remained unclear who or what was actually hit as Washington and Abuja told slightly different stories.Complicating matters was the fact that the strikes were delayed by American President Donald Trump, apparently to prioritise the symbolism of launching the attack on Christmas — and allegations that Washington backed out of issuing a joint statement with the Nigerians.The two countries agree the strikes hit targets linked to Islamic State, but neither immediately provided details on which of Nigeria’s myriad armed groups were targeted.”Twenty-four hours after the bombing, neither Nigeria nor its so-called ‘international partners’ can provide clear, verifiable information about what was actually struck,” activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore said Saturday.Nigeria is battling multiple jihadist organisations, including several linked to Islamic State. Neighbouring countries are also fighting IS-linked groups, and there are worries those conflicts are spilling into the country.Mohammed Idris, the country’s information minister, said late Friday that the strikes “targeted ISIS elements attempting to penetrate Nigeria from the Sahel corridor”.More official clarity started to emerge Saturday, when Daniel Bwala, a spokesman for President Bola Tinubu, told AFP the strikes targeted Islamic State militants who were in the country to work with the Lakurawa jihadist group and “bandit” gangs.All three were targeted, and there were casualties, though it is unknown who was killed, and from which group, Bwala said.- Trump claims credit -Taking to social media the night of the strike, Trump was the first to take credit for the overnight Thursday into Friday strikes in northwestern Sokoto state — sparking worries from Nigerians that their sovereignty had been violated.Trump also told US outlet Politico that the strikes had been scheduled earlier than Thursday, “And I said, ‘nope, let’s give a Christmas present’.”The opposition People’s Democratic Party slammed the government for allowing “foreign powers” to “break the news of security operations in our country before our government does”.Early Friday, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar insisted it was a joint operation, with Tinubu ultimately giving the go-ahead and Nigeria supplying intelligence for the strikes. Tuggar later told broadcaster Arise News that, while he was on the phone ahead of the strikes with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the two had agreed on issuing a joint statement, but Washington rushed out its own.- Villages hit by mistake -Late Friday, almost 24 hours after the strikes, it was Nigeria that finally provided clarity around what the targets were: “two major Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist enclaves” in Sokoto state’s Tangaza district, according to Idris.Other villages were hit by what the information minister said was debris from the strikes.Images from an AFP photographer in Offa, in neighbouring Kwara state, showed crumbled buildings, destroyed by the debris, with roofs caved in and belongings scattered among the wreckage.Explosions in Sokoto state’s Jabo town, also apparently from the debris, shook the community and “surprised us because this area has never been” a stronghold for armed groups, local resident Haruna Kallah told AFP. The munitions used were unclear. The US military released a video showing a navy ship launching what appeared to be missiles. Idris said “the strikes were launched from maritime platforms domiciled in the Gulf of Guinea”. But he also said “a total of 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper” drones.- Targets unknown -The choice to strike the northwest has sowed confusion among analysts, as Nigeria’s jihadists are mainly concentrated in the northeast.Some researchers have recently linked some members of the armed group known as Lakurawa — the main jihadist group located in Sokoto State — to Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), but other analysts have disputed those links.The strikes also come after a diplomatic spat between Washington and Abuja sparked by Trump saying the violence in the country amounted to “persecution” against Christians — a framing long used by the US religious right.The Nigerian government and independent analysts reject the accusations.The framing of Nigeria’s violence in religious terms, the lack of clarity around the targets and the fact that the strikes were delayed til Christmas all add to concerns from critics that the attack was bigger on symbolism than substance.Both countries have said that more strikes are on the table.

US strikes in Nigeria this week targeted Islamic State militants from the Sahel who were in the country to work with the Lakurawa jihadist group and “bandit” gangs, a spokesman for the Nigerian president told AFP Saturday.The exact targets of the strikes, launched overnight Thursday into Friday, had been unclear.Washington and Abuja previously said they targeted IS-linked militants, without providing details on which of Nigeria’s myriad armed groups were attacked.”ISIS, Lakurawa and bandits were targeted,” Daniel Bwala, a spokesman for President Bola Tinubu, told AFP on Saturday. “ISIS found their way through the Sahel to go and assist the Lakurawa and the bandits with supplies and with training,” he said.The Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) group is active in neighbouring Niger, as well as Burkina Faso and Mali, where it is fighting a bloody insurgency against the governments of those countries.While Nigeria has long battled its own, separate jihadist conflict, analysts have been worried about the spread of armed groups from the Sahel into the west African country.”The strike was conducted at a location where, historically, you have the bandits and the Lakurawa parading around that axis,” Bwala said.”The intelligence the US government gathered, also, is that there is a mass movement of ISIS from the Sahel to that part.”There were casualties, but it was unclear who among those targeted were killed, Bwala added.The site of the strikes — in Nigeria’s northwest state of Sokoto — has puzzled analysts, since Nigeria’s jihadist insurgency is mostly concentrated in the northeast.Researchers have recently linked some members of the armed group known as Lakurawa — the main jihadist group located in Sokoto State — to the ISSP. Other analysts have disputed those links, however, and research on Lakurawa is complicated as the term has been used to describe various armed fighters in the northwest.- Diplomatic spat -In the northwest, the biggest security concern is that from criminal gangs known as bandits.They loot villages, conduct kidnappings for ransom and extort farmers and artisanal miners across swathes of rural countryside outside of government control.On Friday, Information Minister Mohammed Idris said the strikes hit “two major Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist enclaves” in Sokoto state’s Tangaza district. Other villages were hit by what the information minister said was debris from the strikes.Images from an AFP photographer in Offa, in neighbouring Kwara state, showed crumbled buildings with roofs caved in and belongings scattered among the wreckage.The strikes — which US President Donald Trump said he pushed back to happen on Christmas Day in order to “give a Christmas present” to the militants — come after a diplomatic spat between Washington and Abuja.Trump accused Nigeria in October and November of allowing “persecution” and “genocide” against Christians.The Nigerian government and independent analysts reject that framing of the country’s violence, which has long been used by the US religious right that backs Trump.The country faces multiple conflicts — from jihadists and bandits to farmer-herder violence and southeastern separatists — that kill both Christians and Muslims. On Christmas Eve, a suspected suicide bomber killed at least five people in an attack on a mosque in northeastern Borno state.After the strikes, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said: “It is a joint operation, and it is not targeting any religion nor simply in the name of one religion or the other.”

Somalia and the African Union reacted angrily Friday after Israel became the first country to formally recognise the northern region of Somaliland as an independent state.Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has pushed for international recognition for decades, with president Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi making it a top priority since taking office last year.Israel announced Friday that it viewed Somaliland as an “independent and sovereign state”, prompting Somalia to call the decision a “deliberate attack” on its sovereignty that would undermine regional peace.Several other countries condemned Israel’s decision. The African Union (AU) rejected the move and warned that it risked “setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent”.Somaliland “remains an integral part” of Somalia, an AU member, said the pan-African body’s head Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the decision was “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords”, referring to a series of agreements brokered by US President Donald Trump in his first term that normalised ties between Israel and several Arab nations.Netanyahu had invited Abdullahi to visit, the Israeli leader’s office said.Asked by the New York Post newspaper whether the United States planned to also recognise Somaliland, Trump said “no”.”Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?” he added.Hailing Israel’s decision as a “historic moment”, Abdullahi said in a post on X that it marked the beginning of a “strategic partnership”.The Palestinian Authority rejected Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.It said on X that Israel had previously named Somaliland “as a destination for the forced displacement of our Palestinian people, particularly from the Gaza Strip”, and warned against “complicity” with such a move.In Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, crowds of people took to the streets to celebrate, many carrying the flag of the breakaway state, said sources.- ‘Overt interference’ -Turkey, a close ally of Somalia, also condemned the move.”This initiative by Israel, which aligns with its expansionist policy… constitutes overt interference in Somalia’s domestic affairs”, a foreign ministry statement said.Egypt said its top diplomat had spoken with counterparts from Turkey, Somalia and Djibouti, who together condemned the move and emphasised “full support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia”.In a video showing Netanyahu speaking to Abdullahi by telephone, the Israeli leader said that he believed the new relationship would offer economic opportunities.”I am very, very happy and I am very proud of this day and I want to wish you and the people of Somaliland the very, very best,” Netanyahu said.A self-proclaimed republic, Somaliland enjoys a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden and has its own money, passports and army.But it has been diplomatically isolated since unilaterally declaring independence.- Strategic move -Israel’s regional security interests may lie behind the move.”Israel requires allies in the Red Sea region for many strategic reasons, among them the possibility of a future campaign against the Houthis,” said the Institute for National Security Studies in a paper last month, referring to Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels.Israel repeatedly hit targets in Yemen after the Gaza war broke out in October 2023, in response to Houthi attacks on Israel that the rebels said were in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.The Houthis have halted their attacks since a fragile truce began in Gaza in October.Somaliland’s lack of international recognition has hampered access to foreign loans, aid and investment, and the territory remains deeply impoverished.A deal between landlocked Ethiopia and Somaliland last year to lease a stretch of coastline for a port and military base enraged Somalia.Israel has been trying to bolster relations with countries in the Middle East and Africa.Historic agreements struck late in Trump’s first term in 2020 saw several countries including the Muslim-majority United Arab Emirates and Morocco normalise relations with Israel.But wars that have stoked Arab anger, particularly in Gaza, have hampered recent efforts to expand ties further.burs-jj/jgc/ceg/mjw

Somalia and the African Union reacted angrily Friday after Israel formally recognised the northern region of Somaliland as an “independent and sovereign state” — the first country to do so.Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, has for decades pushed for international recognition, which has been the key priority for president Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi since he took office last year.But a Somali foreign ministry statement warned the decision was a “deliberate attack” on its sovereignty that would undermine peace in the region. Several other countries also condemned Israel’s decision.The African Union said it “firmly rejects” Israel’s move, warning: “Any attempt to undermine the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia…risks setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent.”Somaliland “remains an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia”, which is a member of the AU, the pan-African body’s head, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, said.Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he announced “the official recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state”, making Israel the first country to do so.”The declaration is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords,” Netanyahu’s office said, referring to several agreements between Israel and Arab countries brokered by US President Donald Trump during his first presidency to normalise ties with Israel.It said Netanyahu had invited Abdullahi to visit.Trump, when asked by the New York Post newspaper about US recognition of Somaliland, said “no” and added: “Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?”Hailing Israel’s decision, Abdullahi said in a post on X that it marked the beginning of a “strategic partnership”.”This is a historic moment as we warmly welcome” he said, affirming “Somaliland’s readiness to join the Abraham Accords,” he added.In Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, crowds of people took to the streets to celebrate, many carrying the flag of the breakaway state, said sources.- ‘Overt interference’ -Turkey, a close ally of Somalia, also condemned the move.”This initiative by Israel, which aligns with its expansionist policy…constitutes overt interference in Somalia’s domestic affairs”, it said in a foreign ministry statement.Egypt’s foreign ministry said its top diplomat had spoken with his counterparts from Turkey, Somalia and Djibouti, who together condemned the move and emphasised “full support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia”.In video showing Netanyahu speaking to Abdullahi by telephone, the Israeli leader said that he believed the new relationship would offer economic opportunities.”I am very, very happy and I am very proud of this day and I want to wish you and the people of Somaliland the very, very best,” Netanyahu said.A self-proclaimed republic, Somaliland enjoys a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden, has its own money, passports and army. But since its unilateral declaration of independence in 1991, it has grappled with decades of isolation.- Strategic -Analysts say matters of strategy were behind Israel’s drive to recognise Somaliland.”Israel requires allies in the Red Sea region for many strategic reasons, among them the possibility of a future campaign against the Houthis,” said the Institute for National Security Studies in a paper last month, referring to Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels.Israel repeatedly hit targets in Yemen after the Gaza war broke out in October 2023, in response to Houthi attacks on Israel that the rebels said were in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.The Houthis have halted their attacks since a fragile truce began in Gaza in October.Somaliland’s lack of international recognition has hampered access to foreign loans, aid and investment, and the territory remains deeply impoverished.A deal between landlocked Ethiopia and Somaliland last year to lease a stretch of coastline for a port and military base enraged Somalia.Israel has been trying to bolster relations with countries in the Middle East and Africa.Historic agreements struck late in Trump’s first term in 2020 saw several countries including Muslim-majority United Arab Emirates and Morocco normalise relations with Israel, but wars that have stoked Arab anger, particularly in Gaza, have hampered recent efforts. burs-jj/jgc/ceg

Volodymyr Zelensky is due to meet President Donald Trump in Florida this weekend, but Russia accused the Ukrainian president and his EU backers Friday of seeking to “torpedo” a US-brokered plan to stop the fighting.Sunday’s meeting to discuss new peace proposals comes as Trump intensifies efforts to end Europe’s worst conflict since World War II, one that has killed tens of thousands since February 2022.The 20-point plan would freeze the war on its current front line but open the door for Ukraine to pull back troops from the east, where demilitarised buffer zones could be created, according to details revealed by Zelensky this week.Ahead of the talks, AFP journalists reported several powerful explosions in Kyiv on Saturday, and authorities warned of a possible missile attack.”Explosions in the capital. Air defence forces are operating. Stay in shelters!” Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.Ukraine’s air force announced a countrywide air alert and said drones and missiles were moving over several regions including Kyiv. Zelensky’s office said earlier that a meeting with Trump is planned for Sunday in Florida, where the US leader has a home.Trump, speaking to news outlet Politico, said about Zelensky’s plan that “he doesn’t have anything until I approve it”, adding: “So we’ll see what he’s got.”Zelensky meanwhile said he held telephone talks on Friday with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and a host of other European leaders.A spokesperson for Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the leaders “reiterated their unshakeable commitment for a just and lasting peace for Ukraine and the importance that talks continue to progress towards this in the coming days”.- Security guarantees -The new plan formulated with Ukraine’s input is Kyiv’s most explicit acknowledgement yet of possible territorial concessions and is very different from an initial 28-point proposal tabled by Washington last month that adhered to many of Russia’s core demands.Part of the plan includes separate US-Ukraine bilateral agreements on security guarantees, reconstruction and the economy. Zelensky said those were changing on a daily basis.”We will discuss these documents, security guarantees,” he said of Sunday’s meeting.”As for sensitive issues, we will discuss (the eastern region of) Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and we will certainly discuss other issues,” he added.Russia signalled its opposition to the plan ahead of the Florida talks.The Kremlin said Friday that foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov had held telephone talks with US officials, and deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov criticised Zelensky’s stance.- Russia accuses EU -“Our ability to make the final push and reach an agreement will depend on our own work and the political will of the other party,” Ryabkov said on Russian television.”Especially in a context where Kyiv and its sponsors — notably within the European Union, who are not in favour of an agreement — have stepped up efforts to torpedo it.”He said the proposal drawn up with Zelensky input “differs radically” from points initially drawn up by US and Russian officials in contacts this month.He said any deal had to “remain within the limits” fixed by Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin when they met in Alaska in August, or else “no accord can be reached”.Zelensky said this week there were still disagreements between Kyiv and Washington over the two core issues of territory and and the status of the Zaporizhzhia plant.Washington has pushed Ukraine to withdraw from the 20 percent of the eastern Donetsk region that it still controls — Russia’s main territorial demand.It has also proposed joint US-Ukrainian-Russian control of Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest nuclear plant, which Russia seized during the invasion.Zelensky said he could only give up more land if the Ukrainian people agree to it in a referendum, and he does not want Russian participation in the nuclear plant.Ukraine appears to have won some concessions in the new plan, which, according to Zelensky, removed a requirement for Kyiv to legally renounce its bid to join NATO as well as previous clauses on territory seized by Russia since 2014 being recognised as belonging to Moscow.But Moscow has shown little inclination to abandon its hardline territorial demands that Ukraine fully withdraw from Donbas and end efforts to join NATO.Zelensky said Ukrainian negotiators were not directly in touch with Moscow, but that the United States acted as intermediary and was awaiting Russia’s response to the latest proposal.”I think we will know their official response in the coming days,” Zelensky said.”Russia is always looking for reasons not to agree,” he added.

Nigeria on Friday signalled that more strikes against jihadist groups were expected after a Christmas Day attack by US forces that President Donald Trump said “decimated” Islamic State-linked camps they targeted in the northwest of the country.Nigeria insisted it was a joint operation, saying that it provided intelligence for Thursday’s attack. The US military said the strikes killed multiple IS fighters. A Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the strikes “were approved by the government of Nigeria,” without saying whether Nigeria’s military had been involved. Trump said in an interview published Friday that the strikes had been scheduled earlier than Thursday, “And I said, ‘nope, let’s give a Christmas present.'”They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated,” he told Politico.Nigeria, located in west Africa, faces interlinked security crises, with jihadists waging an insurgency in the northeast since 2009 and armed gangs raiding villages and staging kidnappings in the northwest.The strikes came after Abuja and Washington have been locked in a diplomatic dispute over what Trump has characterised as the mass killing of Christians amid Nigeria’s myriad armed conflicts.Questions remain over which armed group was targeted, and details over the strikes have varied between Nigerian and US accounts.Washington’s framing of the violence as amounting to Christian “persecution” is rejected by the Nigerian government and independent analysts, but has nonetheless resulted in increased security coordination.US defence officials posted a video of what appeared to be a nighttime missile launch from the deck of a battleship flying the US flag.”It’s Nigeria that provided the intelligence,” the country’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, told broadcaster Channels TV, saying he had been on the phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of the strikes.Asked if there would be more strikes, Tuggar said: “It is an ongoing thing” adding “it must be made clear that it is a joint operation, and it is not targeting any religion.”- Targets unclear -Nigerian information minister Mohammed Idris said in a statement that the US strikes used 16 guided munitions launched from medium-altitude MQ-9 Reaper drones “successfully neutralising” IS elements attempting to penetrate Nigeria through the Sahel.Both countries said the strikes targeted militants linked to the Islamic State group, without providing details.The Department of Defense’s US Africa Command said “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed in an attack in the northwestern state of Sokoto.Residents in Sokoto told AFP they were shocked by the blasts, saying some strikes hit a town that was not a militant stronghold.Nigeria’s armed groups are mostly concentrated in the northeast, but have made inroads into the northwest.Researchers have recently linked some members of an armed group known as Lakurawa — the main jihadist group located in Sokoto State — to Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), which is mostly active in neighbouring Niger and Mali.Other analysts have disputed those links.”We initially thought it was (an) attack by Lakurawa,” said Haruna Kallah, a resident of Jabo town.That the explosions were in fact the result of a US strike “surprised us because this area has never been a Lakurawa enclave.”Tukur Shehu, a resident of Tangaza, a neighbouring district, said two strikes targeted villages known to house Lakurawa camps from where they launch attacks and keep hostages.- Public opinion divided -While public opinion on the strikes appeared split, the Nigerian government publicly welcomed them.”I think Trump would not have accepted a ‘No,'” said Malik Samuel, an Abuja-based researcher for Good Governance Africa, an NGO.Nigerian authorities are keen to be seen as cooperating with the US, Samuel told AFP, even though “both the perpetrators and the victims in the northwest are overwhelmingly Muslim.”Security analyst Brant Philip said the results of the strikes were “not significant, but much is expected soon.”tba-sn-nro-str-abu/jh/msp/bgs