AFP USA

New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is set to become the US city’s first Muslim mayor, and the youthful optimism of his Democratic Socialist platform will be put to the test as he takes office Thursday with high expectations.- Festive swearing in -At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, New York Attorney General Letitia James — friend to Mamdani, foe to President Donald Trump — will swear in the new mayor in a private ceremony at a subway stop called Old City Hall Station. The underground venue reflects his “commitment to the working people who keep our city running every day,” his office said.At midday, left-wing stalwart Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will preside over a much larger swearing-in ceremony open to the public outside City Hall.At a neighborhood celebration, festivities will echo “one of his core messages… that this is a great city, and we like living here,” said Lincoln Mitchell, a Columbia University political science professor. – Policy agenda -The mayor-elect, an avowed socialist, campaigned on addressing the prohibitive cost of living in the metropolis of 8.5 million. One of his key proposals is freezing rent on more than a million apartments, but it’s unclear if the city board that handles rent control — packed with appointees of outgoing Mayor Eric Adams — will be supportive.Details of Mamdani’s other campaign promises — the construction of 200,000 units of affordable housing, universal access to childcare, publicly owned supermarkets and free buses — have yet to be spelled out.But Mamdani has one ace in his pocket: an excellent relationship with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who approves measures like the tax hikes he seeks.Once an election is over, “symbolism only goes so far with voters. Results begin to matter a whole lot more,” New York University lecturer John Kane said.- Opposition to Trump -Despite expectations to the contrary, the late November Oval Office meeting between Trump and Mamdani was cordial and calm. Mamdani “wisely sought a point of common ground with Trump: wanting to make New York City a better place to live,” Kane said.Trump can “be surprisingly gregarious toward those that he perceives to have little leverage over,” Kane added.But federal immigration officers are increasingly active in New York, which could become a flashpoint.- Reassuring the public -At 34, Mamdani is one of New York’s youngest mayors and his political resume is short — he’s held office once previously, as a local representative in the State Assembly.To compensate, he is surrounding himself with seasoned aides, recruited from past mayor’s offices and former president Joe Biden’s administration.Mamdani has also already opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a massive exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate sector leaders debunked those claims in recent weeks.As a defender of Palestinian rights, the mayor — Muslim and of Indian origin — will also have to reassure the Jewish community of his inclusive leadership style. Recently, one of his hires resigned after it was revealed she had posted antisemitic tweets years ago.- ‘Cultural figure’ -“The mayor of New York is always a cultural figure,” Mitchell said.Mamdani has already reflected some of his generation’s cultural tastes with his brief forays into rap music, improv classes in Manhattan, and wearing what the New York Times called “the quintessential entry-level suit for a 30-something striving to be taken seriously.”New Yorkers have also noted his enthusiastic support of his wife, Syrian-born artist Rama Duwaji, with approval.Her Instagram account has gained more than a million followers since November, according to Social Blade statistics.And on the cover of The Cut, New York magazine’s revered fashion and culture publication, she recently marked her own path — the hallmark of every young generation of city dwellers striving to make it there.”At the end of the day, I’m not a politician. I’m here to be a support system for Z and to use the role in the best way that I can as an artist,” she said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, with the US president pushing to move to the next stage of his fragile Gaza truce plan.Netanyahu is also expected to try to shift some focus onto Iran, amid reports he will call for more US strikes on the Islamic republic.The meeting at Trump’s lavish Mar-a-Lago resort — the fifth between the two leaders to be held in the United States this year — comes as some White House officials fear both Israel and Hamas are slow-walking the second phase of their ceasefire.Trump, who said Netanyahu had asked for the talks, is reportedly keen to announce — as soon as January — a Palestinian technocratic government for Gaza and the deployment of an international stabilization force.The two leaders are to meet at 1 pm (1800 GMT), the White House said.Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said Netanyahu would discuss the second phase of the agreement, which involves making sure that “Hamas is disarmed, Gaza is demilitarized.”He will also bring up the “danger Iran poses not only to the region of the Middle East, but the United States as well,” Bedrosian said before flying out with the Israeli premier. In recent months, Israeli officials and media have expressed concern that Iran is rebuilding its ballistic missile arsenal after it came under attack during the 12-day war with Israel in June.But Sina Toossi, a researcher at the Center for International Policy (CIP) in Washington, said Trump’s insistence that US strikes in June destroyed Tehran’s nuclear program had “removed Israel’s most powerful historical justification for US support for war with Iran”.Netanyahu’s new focus on Iran’s missiles is “an effort to manufacture a replacement casus belli,” Toossi told AFP.Iran on Monday denounced the reports as a “psychological operation” against Tehran, emphasizing it was fully prepared to defend itself, and warning renewed aggression would “result in harsher consequences” for Israel.- ‘Phase two has to begin’ -Netanyahu’s visit caps a frantic few days of international diplomacy in Palm Beach, where Trump hosted Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday for talks on ending Russia’s invasion.The Gaza ceasefire in October is one of the major achievements of Trump’s first year back in power, but his administration and regional mediators want to keep up the momentum.Trump’s global envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner hosted senior officials from mediators Qatar, Egypt and Turkey in Miami earlier this month.The timing of the Netanyahu meeting is “very significant,” said Gershon Baskin, the co-head of peacebuilding commission the Alliance for Two States, who has taken part in back-channel negotiations with Hamas.”Phase two has to begin,” he told AFP, adding that “I think the Americans realize that it’s late because Hamas has had too much time to re-establish its presence.”  The first phase of the truce deal stipulated that Hamas release the remaining hostages, both dead and alive, taken during its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The group has so far returned all the living captives and the remains of all but one. Under the second stage, Israel is supposed to withdraw from its positions in Gaza, while Hamas is supposed to lay down its weapons — a major sticking point for the Islamist movement.An interim authority is meanwhile meant to govern the Palestinian territory, and the international stabilization force (ISF) is to be deployed.Both sides, however, have alleged frequent ceasefire violations.- ‘Frustrated with Netanyahu’ -The Axios news outlet reported on Friday that Trump wanted to convene the first meeting of a new Gaza “Board of Peace” that he will chair at the Davos forum in Switzerland in January.But it said that senior White House officials were growing exasperated with what they viewed as efforts by Netanyahu to stall the peace process.”There are more and more signs that the American administration is getting frustrated with Netanyahu,” said Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at London-based think-tank Chatham House.”The question is what it’s going to do about it,” he added, “because phase two is right now going nowhere.”Israel is continuing to strike Hamas targets in Gaza, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon despite another ceasefire there. Syria will also be on the agenda.Mekelberg said Netanyahu could be attempting to shift attention from Gaza onto Iran as Israel enters an election year.”Everything is connected to staying in power,” he said of the long-time Israeli premier.

New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is set to become the US city’s first Muslim mayor, and the youthful optimism of his Democratic Socialist platform will be put to the test as he takes office Thursday for a four-year term that faces high expectations.- Festive swearing in -Just after the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, New York Attorney General Letitia James — friend to Mamdani, foe to President Donald Trump — will swear in the new mayor. In a high-stakes tit-for-tat, James recently sued Trump, and he tried to have her indicted in return.At midday, left-wing icon and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will preside over a ceremony outside City Hall.At a neighborhood celebration, festivities will echo “one of his core messages… that this is a great city, and we like living here,” said Lincoln Mitchell, a Columbia University political science professor. – Policy agenda -The mayor-elect, an avowed socialist, campaigned on addressing the prohibitive cost of living in the metropolis of 8.5 million. One of his key proposals is freezing rent on more than a million apartments, but it’s unclear if the city board that handles rent control — packed with appointees of outgoing Mayor Eric Adams — will be supportive.Details of Mamdani’s other campaign promises — the construction of 200,000 units of affordable housing, universal access to childcare, publicly owned supermarkets and free buses — have yet to be spelled out.But Mamdani has one ace in his pocket: an excellent relationship with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who approves measures like the tax hikes he seeks.Once an election is over, “symbolism only goes so far with voters. Results begin to matter a whole lot more,” New York University lecturer John Kane said.- Opposition to Trump -Despite expectations to the contrary, the late November Oval Office meeting between Trump and Mamdani was cordial and calm. Mamdani “wisely sought a point of common ground with Trump: wanting to make New York City a better place to live,” Kane said.Trump can “be surprisingly gregarious toward those that he perceives to have little leverage over,” Kane added.Federal immigration officers are increasingly active in New York, which could become a flashpoint.- Reassuring the public -At 34, Mamdani is one of New York’s youngest mayors and his political resume is short — he’s held office once previously, as a local representative in the State Assembly.To compensate, he is surrounding himself with seasoned aides, recruited from past mayor’s offices and former president Joe Biden’s administration.Mamdani has also already opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a massive exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate sector leaders debunked those claims in recent weeks.As a defender of Palestinian rights, the mayor — Muslim and of Indian origin — will also have to reassure the Jewish community of his inclusive leadership style. Recently, one of his hires resigned after it was revealed she had posted antisemitic tweets years ago.- ‘Cultural figure’ -“The mayor of New York is always a cultural figure,” Mitchell said.Mamdani has already captured some of his generation’s cultural trappings with his brief forays into rap music, improv classes in Manhattan, and wearing what the New York Times called “the quintessential entry-level suit for a 30-something striving to be taken seriously.”New Yorkers have also noted his enthusiastic support of his wife, Syrian-born artist Rama Duwaji, with approval.Her Instagram account has gained more than a million followers since November, according to Social Blade statistics.And on the cover of The Cut, New York magazine’s revered fashion and culture publication, she recently marked her own path — the hallmark of every young generation of city dwellers striving to make it there.”At the end of the day, I’m not a politician. I’m here to be a support system for Z and to use the role in the best way that I can as an artist,” she said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, with the US president pushing to move to the next stage of the fragile Gaza truce plan.The crucial meeting at Trump’s lavish Mar-a-Lago resort comes as some White House officials fear both Israel and Hamas are slow-walking the second phase of their ceasefire.Trump, who said Netanyahu had asked for the talks, is reportedly keen to announce — as soon as January — a Palestinian technocratic government for Gaza and the deployment of an international stabilization force.The two leaders are to meet at 1 pm (1800 GMT), the White House said.Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said Netanyahu would discuss the second phase, which involves making sure that “Hamas is disarmed, Gaza is demilitarized.”But Netanyahu will also try to shift the focus onto Iran during his fifth meeting in the United States with Trump this year, amid reports he will push for more US strikes on Tehran’s nuclear program.Netanyahu would also bring up the “danger Iran poses not only to the region of the Middle East, but the United States as well,” Bedrosian said before flying out with the Israeli premier.Netanyahu’s visit caps a frantic few days of international diplomacy in Palm Beach, where Trump hosted Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday for talks on ending Russia’s invasion.The Gaza ceasefire in October is one of the major achievements of Trump’s first year back in power, but his administration and regional mediators want to keep up the momentum.Trump’s global envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner hosted senior officials from mediators Qatar, Egypt and Turkey in Miami earlier this month.The timing of the Netanyahu meeting is “very significant,” said Gershon Baskin, the co-head of peacebuilding commission the Alliance for Two States, who has taken part in back-channel negotiations with Hamas.”Phase two has to begin,” he told AFP, adding that “I think the Americans realize that it’s late because Hamas has had too much time to re-establish its presence.”  – ‘Going nowhere’ -The first phase of the truce deal saw Hamas release the remaining hostages, both dead and alive, from the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Hamas has returned all but the body of one hostage. Both sides allege frequent ceasefire violations.Under the second stage, Israel is supposed to withdraw from its positions in Gaza, while Hamas is supposed to lay down its weapons — a major sticking point for the Islamist movement.An interim authority is meanwhile meant to govern the Palestinian territory, and the international stabilization force (ISF) is to be deployed.The Axios news outlet reported on Friday that Trump wanted to convene the first meeting of a new Gaza “Board of Peace” that he will chair at the Davos forum in Switzerland in January.But it said that senior White House officials were growing exasperated with what they viewed as efforts by Netanyahu to stall the peace process.”There are more and more signs that the American administration is getting frustrated with Netanyahu,” said Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at London-based think-tank Chatham House.”The question is what it’s going to do about it,” he added, “because phase two is right now going nowhere.”For his part, Netanyahu is set to focus with Trump on Iran’s nuclear program, which the United States and Israel struck in June but which Israel fears Tehran is rebuilding.Israel is also continuing to strike Hamas targets in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon despite a ceasefire there. Syria will also be on the agenda.Mekelberg said Netanyahu could be attempting to shift attention from Gaza onto Iran as Israel enters an election year.”Everything is connected to staying in power,” he said of the long-time Israeli premier.

Near the entrance to the Panama Canal, a monument to China’s contributions to the interoceanic waterway was torn down Saturday night by order of local authorities.The move comes as US President Donald Trump has made threats in recent months to retake control of the canal, claiming Beijing has too much influence in its operations.In a surprising move that has been criticized by leaders in Panama and China, the mayor’s office of the locality of Arraijan ordered the demolition of the monument built in 2004 to symbolize friendship between the countries.The mayor’s office said in a statement that the monument, which overlooked the waterway spanning Bridge of the Americas, had structural damage that posed a “risk.” But Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said Sunday that “there is no justification whatsoever for the barbarity committed,” calling it “an unforgivable act of irrationality.”After personally inspecting the demolition, China’s ambassador to Panama Xu Xueyuan said it was a “great pain for bilateral friendship,” noting the insult to 300,000 Chinese-Panamanians.Some members of the Chinese community witnessed the destruction but police prevented them from reaching the lookout to stop it, according to videos published by local media.In a video posted to X, the Chinese embassy called for a “thorough investigation” of the case and to “severely sanction” the “illegal, improper and vandalistic” actions.The US and China are the main users of the 80-kilometer canal, which sees the passage of five percent of global maritime trade.The Panama Canal was under US control from 1914 to 1999, when it was taken over by Panama.Trump has demanded preferential conditions for its use by US vessels.Hong Kong-based Hutchison Holdings operates two ports on the Pacific and the Atlantic, but has agreed to sell them to US-based BlackRock.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal was closer than ever to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but reported no apparent breakthrough on the flashpoint issue of territory after new talks with the warring countries’ leaders.Trump, who had promised a peace deal on day one of his nearly year-old presidency, said it would become clear within weeks whether it was possible to solve the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people.In a pre-New Year’s diplomatic sprint, Trump brought to his Florida estate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who described a peace plan as 95 percent complete despite Russia unleashing major new attacks a day before on Kyiv’s residential areas.Much like when Zelensky last met Trump in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin also spoke shortly beforehand by telephone with the US leader, who immediately insisted that Moscow was “serious” about peace despite the assault.”I really believe we’re, Mr. President, probably closer than — far closer than — ever before with both parties,” Trump said with Zelensky at his side in the tea room of his Mar-a-Lago estate.”Everybody wants it ended,” Trump said.Zelensky looked on politely, only betraying the slightest look of disbelief as Trump told him that Putin, who ordered the February 2022 invasion that has included major attacks on infrastructure, “wants to see Ukraine succeed.””President Putin was very generous in his feeling toward Ukraine succeeding, including supplying energy, electricity and other things at very low prices,” Trump said.Zelensky has been careful not to annoy Trump, mindful of his disastrous White House meeting on February 28 where he pushed back and saw the United States briefly snap off key support.Zelensky also nodded politely as Trump insisted the Ukrainians enjoyed the club’s food but stayed stoic as Trump digressed into familiar grievances about his predecessor Joe Biden.- Call to Europeans -After their talks, Zelensky and Trump spoke jointly by telephone with key European leaders, who have been particularly alarmed about any decisions that would embolden Russia.Zelensky said that he and European leaders could return jointly for talks with Trump in Washington in January.French President Emmanuel Macron also announced a new meeting of Kyiv’s allies in early January in Paris.Trump acknowledged continued disagreement between Kyiv and Moscow on territory. The current plan, revised after weeks of intense US-Ukrainian negotiations, would stop the war at the current frontlines in the eastern Donbas region and set up a demilitarized area, while Russia has long demanded territorial concessions.”It’s unresolved, but it’s getting a lot closer. That’s a very tough issue, but one that I think will get resolved,” Trump said.Trump offered to address the Ukrainian parliament to promote the plan  — an idea, however unlikely, that Zelensky quickly welcomed.Zelensky’s openness to the revised US plan marks Kyiv’s most explicit acknowledgement yet of possible territorial concessions, although Ukrainians would need to vote in a referendum.By contrast, Russia has shown no signs of compromise, as it sees hope in the grinding gains it has made over four years against tough Ukrainian defenses.The Kremlin in its readout of talks between Putin and Trump called on Kyiv to make a “bold and responsible decision” and immediately withdraw troops from Donbas and cast European leaders as the impediment to Trump.Trump and Putin agree that a “temporary ceasefire” would “merely prolong the conflict and risk a renewed escalation on the battlefield,” Kremlin diplomatic advisor Yuri Ushakov said.He said that Trump and Putin would speak again “promptly” after the Zelensky meeting, although there was no immediate news of a second call.- ’90 percent’ agreed by Ukraine -Trump’s advisors have previously floated the idea of offering NATO-like security guarantees to Ukraine, meaning in theory that the alliance’s members would respond militarily if Russia attacks again.Zelensky said that the peace framework laid out by Trump was “90 percent agreed” and that “US-Ukraine security guarantees: 100 percent agreed.”Russia had adamantly rejected any entrance of the former Soviet republic into NATO.

Growing Chinese auto giant BYD stands poised to officially surpass Tesla as the world’s biggest electric vehicle company in annual sales.The two groups are expected soon to publish their final figures for 2025, and based on sales data so far this year, there is almost no chance the American company led by Elon Musk will retain its leadership position.At the end of November, Shenzhen-based BYD, which also produces hybrid vehicles, had sold 2.07 million EVs so far in 2025.Tesla, for its part, had sold 1.22 million by the end of September. Tesla’s September figures included a one-time boost in sales, to nearly half-a-million vehicles in a three-month period, before the expiration of a US tax credit for buyers of electric vehicles — which ended under legislation backed by President Donald Trump, a climate change skeptic.But Tesla’s sales in the coming quarter are expected to fall to 449,000, according to a FactSet analysis consensus. That would give Tesla about 1.65 million sales for all of 2025, a drop of 7.7 percent and well below the level BYD had attained by end November.Deutsche Bank, which projects just 405,000 Tesla EV sales during the fourth quarter, sees the company’s sales down by around one-third in both North America and Europe, and by one-tenth in China.- Transition period -Industry watchers say it will take time for EV demand to reach a level of equilibrium in the United States following the elimination of the $7,500 US tax credit at the end of September 2025.Even prior to that, Tesla had seen sales struggle in key markets over CEO Musk’s political support of Trump and other far-right politicians. Tesla has also faced rising EV competition from BYD and other Chinese companies and from European giants.”We believe Tesla will see some weakness on deliveries” in the fourth quarter, said Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities.Sales of 420,000 would be “good enough to show stable demand,” with Wall Street “laser focused on the autonomous chapter kicking off in 2026,” Ives added, referring to plans for self-driving vehicles.Even as it has grown quickly, BYD has faced challenges in its home market. With profitability in China weighed down by price-wary consumers, the company has sought to strengthen its foothold in foreign markets.BYD is “one of the pioneers to establish overseas production capacity and supply chains for EVs,” Jing Yang, Director of Asia-Pacific Corporate Ratings at Fitch Ratings, told AFP.”Going forward, its geographical diversification is likely to help it to navigate an increasingly complicated global tariff environment,” said Yang.Overseas rivals to BYD have balked at Chinese state subsidies and other state supports that have allowed the company to sell vehicles cheaply. Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden imposed 100 percent tariffs on Chinese EV imports that could potentially go even higher under Trump. Europe has also imposed tariffs on Chinese imports, but BYD is building manufacturing capacity in Hungary.While the chance of Tesla reclaiming its global leadership in EVs looks uncertain, the American company is also potentially positioned for growth.Michaeli of TD Cowen sees autonomous technology playing an increasingly important role for Tesla, with breakthroughs in its “full self-driving” or “FSD” offerings potentially boosting sales.”As Tesla really begins to roll out eyes-off features and expand FSDs capability, if they do that successfully, that should generate more demand for their vehicles,” Michaeli said.Musk has said the Cybercab, an autonomous robotaxi model, will begin production in April 2026. The company has also unveiled lower-priced versions of the Models 3 and Y that could boost sales.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” retained the top spot at the North American box office after it debuted the week before, reeling in $64 million during the weekend after Christmas, industry estimates showed Sunday.  The third installment in director James Cameron’s blockbuster series stars Zoe Saldana as Na’vi warrior Neytiri and Sam Worthington as ex-Marine Jake Sully, who must battle a new foe threatening their family’s life on the planet Pandora.The film grossed $217.6 million at the box office worldwide during the current weekend, according to estimates.”Zootopia 2,” Disney’s feel-good animated film and an Oscar contender, rose to number 2 from 5 in the rankings, bringing in $20 million, according to weekend estimates. “Marty Supreme,” a period sports drama starring Timothee Chalamet, soared to third place in the rankings from the number 10 spot the previous week, bringing in $17.5 million, weekend estimates showed.”This is an excellent opening for a sports drama,” according to David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.”Critics’ reviews are sensational, with an excellent audience score (a B+ CinemaScore). The film is going to get a lift from holiday moviegoing this week — all of the releases are going to benefit now,” he said.Dropping one notch to fourth place was “The Housemaid,” a thriller from Lionsgate films starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, which earned $15.4 million, according to estimates.”Anaconda,” the new comedy action movie starring Paul Rudd and Jack Black, placed fifth in the rankings after making its debut. Distributed by Sony, the film brought in $14.5 million, according to estimates.  “This is a solid opening for a horror remake. The three-day figure is roughly average for the genre, and it’s a bit better start than the previous ‘Anaconda’ opening in 2004,” Gross said. Rounding out the top 10 are:”David” ($12.6 million)”The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants” ($11.2 million)”Song Sung Blue” ($7.6 million)”Wicked: For Good” ($5.2 million)”Five Nights at Freddy’s 2″ ($4.4 million)

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he believed the leaders of Ukraine and Russia were serious about peace as he spoke with them both in what he called the final stages of his efforts to end the war.Trump, who had promised to finish the war on day one of his presidency, said he had no deadline but is embarking on a year-end diplomatic sprint as he welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to his Florida estate.Much like when Zelensky last met Trump in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin also spoke shortly beforehand by telephone with the US leader, who immediately voiced new hope at working with Moscow, which has been seeking to avoid stronger pressure from Ukraine’s allies in Washington and Europe.Trump’s renewed upbeat tone comes despite wide skepticism in Europe about Putin’s intentions after Russia carried out another massive bombardment of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv just as Zelensky was heading to Florida.Asked if Putin was committed to peace despite the attacks, Trump said: “He’s very serious.””I can say that I believe Ukraine has made some very strong attacks also, and I don’t say that negatively. I think you probably have to,” Trump said outside his estate.Before the talks began, Trump posted on social media that his conversation with Putin was “very productive.”Speaking next to Zelensky, who stood a step below him at the entrance in front of waiting cameras, Trump said that an emerging agreement would also be good for Ukraine.”There will be a security agreement. It’ll be a strong agreement,” Trump said.”And the European nations are very much involved in that. They’ll be very much involved in protection, et cetera,” he said.Trump’s advisors have previously floated the idea of offering NATO-like security guarantees to Ukraine, meaning in theory that the alliance’s members would respond militarily if Russia attacks again.- Russia demands concessions -The Kremlin gave a more pointed readout of Trump’s talks with Putin, saying that the US leader agreed that a mere ceasefire “would only prolong the conflict” as it demanded Ukraine compromise on territory.Zelensky, who in the past has faced verbal attacks from Trump, has sought to show willingness to work with the contours of the US leader’s plans, but Putin has offered no sign that he will accept it.At their October meeting, Trump refused Zelensky’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles as Trump again said that Putin was showing positive signs.Trump’s talks with Zelensky are expected to last an hour, after which the two presidents are scheduled to hold a joint call with the leaders of key European allies.Trump and Putin are also set to hold another phone call later Sunday.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who will join the call, wrote on X that the Russian attacks on Kyiv were “contrary to President Trump’s expectations and despite the readiness to make compromises” by Zelensky.The drone and missile assault on Kyiv temporarily knocked out power and heating to hundreds of thousands of residents during freezing temperatures.- Zelensky shows openness -The revised peace plan, which emerged from weeks of intense US-Ukraine negotiations, would stop the war along its current front lines and could require Ukraine to pull troops back from the east, allowing the creation of demilitarized buffer zones.As such, it contains Kyiv’s most explicit acknowledgement yet of possible territorial concessions.It does not, however, envisage Ukraine withdrawing from the 20 percent of the eastern Donetsk region that it still controls — Russia’s main territorial demand.Zelensky was careful to stay positive as he met Trump, saying: “It’s very important to our teams talk about strategy.”The two leaders then entered the president’s dining room surrounded by top aides, as Trump told the press to leave and have lunch.Russia has accused Ukraine and its European backers of trying to “torpedo” a previous US-brokered plan to stop the fighting, and recent battlefield gains — Russia announced on Saturday it had captured two more towns in eastern Ukraine — are seen as strengthening Moscow’s hand in peace talks.”If the authorities in Kyiv don’t want to settle this business peacefully, we’ll resolve all the problems before us by military means,” Putin said on Saturday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky will push a new peace plan for Ukraine when he sits down with Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday, bolstered by the backing of European leaders but with his capital Kyiv still reeling from a massive Russian bombardment.The US president has been non-committal on the revised 20-point proposal for ending the nearly four-year conflict, while Russian leader Vladimir Putin has offered no indication that Moscow would find it acceptable.Trump has made ending the Ukraine war a centerpiece of his second term as a self-proclaimed “president of peace,” and he has repeatedly blamed both Kyiv and Moscow for the failure to secure a ceasefire.Sunday’s meeting, to be hosted by Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence at 1:00 pm (1800 GMT), will be their first in-person encounter since October, when the US president refused to grant Zelensky’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles.And the Ukrainian leader could face another hard sell this time around, with Trump insisting that he “doesn’t have anything until I approve it.”- European allies -The talks are expected to last an hour, after which the two presidents are scheduled to hold a joint call with the leaders of key European allies.The revised peace plan, which emerged from weeks of intense US-Ukraine negotiations, would stop the war along its current front lines and could require Ukraine to pull troops back from the east, allowing the creation of demilitarized buffer zones.As such, it contains Kyiv’s most explicit acknowledgement yet of possible territorial concessions.It does not, however, envisage Ukraine withdrawing from the 20 percent of the eastern Donetsk region that it still controls — Russia’s main territorial demand.Before landing in Florida, Zelensky made a stopover in Canada during which he held a conference call with European allies, who pledged their full support for his peace efforts and vowed to maintain pressure on Moscow.The Ukrainian leader said he hoped the talks in Florida would be “very constructive,” and stressed that Putin had shown his hand with a deadly drone and missile assault on Kyiv that temporarily knocked out power and heating to hundreds of thousands of residents during freezing temperatures.”This attack is again Russia’s answer on our peace efforts. And this really showed that Putin doesn’t want peace,” he said.He also told reporters that he would press Trump on the importance of providing security guarantees that would prevent any renewed Russian aggression if a ceasefire were secured.”We need strong security guarantees. We will discuss this and we will discuss the terms,” he said.Ukraine insists it needs more European and US funding and weapons — especially drones.- Russian opposition -Russia has accused Ukraine and its European backers of trying to “torpedo” a previous US-brokered plan to stop the fighting, and recent battlefield gains — Russia announced on Saturday it had captured two more towns in eastern Ukraine — are seen as strengthening Moscow’s hand when it comes to peace talks.”If the authorities in Kyiv don’t want to settle this business peacefully, we’ll resolve all the problems before us by military means,” Putin said on Saturday.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told state news agency TASS that Moscow would continue its engagement with US negotiators but criticized European governments as the “main obstacle” to peace.”They are making no secret of their plans to prepare for war with Russia,” Lavrov said, adding that the ambitions of European politicians are “literally blinding them.”