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US President Donald Trump raised hopes of a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia Monday as he gave President Volodymyr Zelensky a friendly welcome for high-stakes talks at the White House.The meeting is the first since an acrimonious row between the two men in the Oval Office in February, and comes just days after Trump held a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.Despite an apparent gulf over concessions that Trump has pushed Ukraine to make to Russia, the US leader said there was a “good chance” of ending the conflict sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.He said he would be talking to Putin by telephone later Monday and hoped for a three-way meeting with the Kremlin leader and Zelensky.”I think if everything works out well today we’ll have a trilat, and I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that,” said Trump, sitting in the Oval alongside Zelensky.Zelensky, who came backed by a phalanx of top European leaders, praised Trump.”Thank you very much for your efforts, personal efforts to stop killings and stop this war,” he said.The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland and the European Commission and NATO were at the White House in a show of support for Ukraine, as Trump pushed Kyiv to give up Crimea and abandon its goals of joining NATO.They were due to meet with Trump shortly.- ‘I love it’-The atmosphere was far calmer than when Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky in front of TV cameras less than six months ago for not being “grateful” for US support.Trump even complimented Zelensky on his black jacket, after the Ukrainian was criticized by right-wing media because he failed to change his trademark war-leader’s outfit for a suit during the February visit.”I love it,” said Trump, pointing to Zelensky’s outfit as they shook hands on the Ukrainian president’s arrival at the West Wing.The lighthearted exchange however belied the fact that Kyiv and its allies had been fearful that Trump was, once again, pivoting towards Putin’s views following the Alaska summit.With Zelensky pushing for Western security guarantees to back up any peace deal with Russia, Trump said the United States would be “involved” in Ukraine’s future security.Trump, 79, would not say if US troops could help with such guarantees but said that “we’ll let you know that maybe later today.”Air raid sirens sounded over Kyiv on Monday, AFP journalists heard, just as European leaders were arriving at the White House. Russian strikes overnight killed at least seven people.- ‘Peace through strength’ -The European leaders held a preparatory meeting with the Ukrainian president in Washington on Monday morning, while Zelensky also met Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg.Zelensky described the talks at the White House as “very serious” and sought to flatter Trump by echoing his trademark “peace through strength” language.”President Trump has that strength. We have to do everything right to make peace happen,” he said.Zelensky called on social media for a “reliable and lasting peace for Ukraine and for the whole of Europe” and said they would discuss Western security guarantees for Ukraine.Reports had said Putin would be open to Western security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of any peace deal, but had ruled out Kyiv’s long-term ambition to join NATO.The US president had alarmed Kyiv and European capitals in recent days by repeating a number of Russian talking points.Trump said Sunday that Zelensky could end the war “almost immediately, if he wants to” but that, for Ukraine,  there was “no getting back” Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, and “NO GOING INTO NATO.”On Monday, Trump reiterated that he does not think a ceasefire is necessary for negotiating an end to the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of its pro-Western neighbor in February 2022.

Hurricane Erin strengthened Monday and was forecast to expand as the powerful Category 4 storm drenched Caribbean islands and threatened dangerous rip currents along the US East Coast.In its latest advisory the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Erin was packing maximum sustained winds of 140 miles (220 kilometers) per hour while moving west-northwest at 10 mph.Its outer bands were forecast to bring localized downpours across Cuba and the Dominican Republic through Monday as well as the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas — where a tropical storm warning is in place — through Tuesday.These areas could receive localized totals of up to six inches (15 centimeters) of rain, according to the NHC.In Puerto Rico, a US territory of more than three million people, weekend flooding swamped homes and roads in the island’s east, and widespread power outages left residents in the dark, though service has since been restored to more than 96 percent of customers.Although Erin’s core will remain over the Atlantic as it begins curving northeast this week, “Erin is expected to grow rather dramatically in size,” warned NHC director Michael Brennan, stressing that peripheral impacts will be significant.By Tuesday, the entire US East Coast will face a high risk of life-threatening surf and rip currents, which occur when channels of water surge away from the shore. Coastal flooding, particularly along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, is expected to begin Tuesday and peak Wednesday into Thursday, with portions of highway at risk of ocean overwash. Evacuations have been ordered off two islands, Ocracoke and Hatteras.Wave heights of 20–30 feet (6-9 meters) — at times exceeding 50 feet — will create treacherous marine conditions across the western Atlantic.The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, has now entered its historical peak. Despite a relatively quiet start with just four named storms so far, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) continues to forecast an “above-normal” season.A typical season produces 14 named storms, of which seven become hurricanes and three strengthen into major hurricanes. This year, tropical activity is expected to be elevated by a combination of warmer-than-average sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean, along with an active West African monsoon, NOAA said.Scientists broadly agree that human-driven climate change is amplifying tropical cyclones.Warmer oceans release more water vapor, fueling stronger winds, while a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, intensifying rainfall. Meanwhile, rising seas — already about a foot higher than a century ago — mean cyclones are starting from a higher baseline, magnifying storm surges and coastal flooding.

European leaders arrived at the White House Monday ahead of high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky aimed at bridging big differences over a peace deal with Russia.The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Finland, as well as NATO chief Mark Rutte and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, are demonstrating support for Ukraine as Trump presses Kyiv to make concessions.Air raid sirens sounded over Kyiv on Monday, AFP journalists heard, at the same time as the Europeans were arriving. Russian strikes overnight killed at least seven people.Following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, Trump said Ukraine must give up Crimea and abandon its NATO ambitions — two of Moscow’s top demands.Zelensky was due to arrive shortly for a one-on-one with Trump in the Oval Office, scene of an astonishing meeting in February February when the US president and his deputy JD Vance publicly berated the Ukrainian.Trump will later meet separately with the European leaders.Trump, 79, said it was a “big day at the White House” but appeared to be in a combative mood, churning out a string of social media posts.”I know exactly what I’m doing,” the Republican said on his Truth Social network. “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.”- ‘Peace through strength’ -The European leaders held a preparatory meeting with the Ukrainian president in Washington on Monday morning, while Zelensky also met Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg.Zelensky described the talks at the White House as “very serious” — and sought to flatter Trump ahead of the meeting, by echoing his trademark “peace through strength” language.”President Trump has that strength. We have to do everything right to make peace happen,” he said.Zelensky later called on social media for a “reliable and lasting peace for Ukraine and for the whole of Europe” and said they would discuss Western security guarantees for Ukraine.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters on the plane to Washington: “We’ve got to make sure there is peace, that it is lasting peace, and that it is fair and that it is just.”Reports had said Putin would be open to Western security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of any peace deal — but had ruled out Kyiv’s long-term ambition to join NATO.Russia kept up its attacks on Ukraine ahead of the new talks, killing at least seven people, including two children, in dozens of drone and ballistic missile strikes overnight, Ukrainian officials said.The Trump-Putin summit in Alaska failed to produce a ceasefire in the nearly three-and-a-half-year war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.After, Trump dropped his previous insistence on a ceasefire in favor of seeking a complete peace deal, meaning negotiations could proceed while the war goes on. He also alarmed Kyiv and European capitals by repeating a number of Russian talking points.Trump said Sunday that Zelensky could end the war “almost immediately, if he wants to” but that, for Ukraine,  there was “no getting back” Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, and “NO GOING INTO NATO.”- ‘Some concessions’ – US media reports have said Putin would consider freezing much of the current frontline in Ukraine if Kyiv agreed to completely give up the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.Trump envoy Steve Witkoff said Moscow had made “some concessions” on territory.But such a move is widely viewed as unacceptable for Ukraine, which still holds much of the resource-rich area.Yevgeniy Sosnovsky, a photographer from the captured Ukrainian city of Mariupol, said he “cannot understand” how Ukraine would cede land already under its control.”Ukraine cannot give up any territories, not even those occupied by Russia,” he told AFP.Kyiv and European leaders have warned against making political and territorial concessions to Russia, whose assault on Ukraine has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.burs-dk/sms

Dozens of Democratic legislators who fled Texas to halt an aggressive redistricting drive ended their two-week standoff on Monday, clearing the way for a new electoral map pushed by Republican President Donald Trump.With their return, the Texas House now has enough lawmakers to form a quorum and approve a map that carves out five new Republican-friendly US congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.More than 50 Democrats had stalled legislative business with their walk-out, which took them across the country and garnered national headlines as they sought to draw attention to the rare mid-decade redistricting push.”When Republicans tried to silence minority voters through racist gerrymandering, Texas House Democrats answered the call,” the Texas House Democratic Caucus said in a statement on the legislators’ return.”After rallying Americans to join this existential battle for democracy, we’re returning to Texas on our terms — ready to build the legal record needed to defeat these unconstitutional maps in court. The fight continues.”The moves in Texas have set off an escalating redistricting battle across the country, with Republican governors in several other states exploring new maps in a bid to protect the party’s razor-thin majority in the US House of Representatives.Politico reported that Republicans could draw as many as 10 new seats ahead of the midterms and are targeting Ohio, Missouri, New Hampshire, Indiana, South Carolina and Florida.Democrats have vowed to retaliate with their own proposals in California, and possibly in New York.The Texas Democrats amassed daily fines of $500 each during their absence and were slapped with lawsuits from Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who tried to remove them from office.Republican John Cornyn, who is fighting a challenge for his US Senate seat from Paxton, enlisted the FBI in locating the absent lawmakers while State House speaker Dustin Burrows issued civil arrest warrants.But the group only agreed to return after denying a vote on the new map during a first special legislative session, and after California lawmakers agreed to redraw their own map to give Democrats five more seats.Abbott called a second special session that began on Friday.California state lawmakers were expected this week to consider a new map counteracting the Texas changes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said ahead of talks with Donald Trump on Monday that Russia should not be “rewarded” for its invasion, after the US leader pressed Ukraine to make concessions in exchange for peace.The talks, in which European leaders will also take part, follows a Friday summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska that failed to produce a ceasefire in the nearly three-and-a-half-year war.Trump, who dropped his insistence on a ceasefire in favor of a final peace deal after meeting Putin, said Sunday that Zelensky could end the war “almost immediately, if he wants to” but that, for Ukraine,  there was “no getting back” Crimea and “NO GOING INTO NATO.”Kyiv and European leaders have warned against making political and territorial concessions to Russia, whose assault on Ukraine since February 2022 has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.”Russia should not be rewarded for its participation in this war…. And it is Moscow that must hear the word: Stop,” Zelensky said in a Facebook post early Monday.Trump and Zelensky are expected to meet one-on-one before being joined by the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Finland, as well as NATO chief Mark Rutte and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, according to the White House.The European leaders will also hold a preparatory meeting with Zelensky ahead of talks with Trump, the European Union said.Ahead of Monday’s meeting, China called for “all parties” to agree to peace “as soon as possible.”It will be the first visit by Zelensky to Washington since a February bust-up with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, when the two men berated the Ukrainian leader for being “ungrateful.”Russia kept up its attacks on Ukraine ahead of the new talks, firing at least 140 drones and four ballistic missiles at the country between late Sunday and early Monday, the Ukrainian air force said.A Russian drone attack on a five-storey apartment block in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv just before dawn killed at least seven people, including a one-and-a-half year old girl, authorities said.Zelensky called the strikes an attempt to “humiliate diplomatic efforts.”Ukrainian shelling attacks in the Russian-occupied parts of the Kherson and Donetsk regions meanwhile killed two people, Moscow-installed authorities said.- Territories at stake -Russia currently occupies a fifth of Ukraine.It annexed Crimea in 2014 following a referendum denounced as a sham by Kyiv and the West, and did the same in 2022 in four Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk and Zaporizhzhia — even though its forces have not fully captured them.Russia controls Crimea and is largely in control of the Lugansk region, but not the other three regions.Russia has suggested it might “freeze” the front line in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in exchange for getting control of land not already captured in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.A source briefed on a phone call between Trump and European leaders on Saturday told AFP that the US leader was “inclined to support” this proposal.But Zelensky has repeatedly shot down the notion of ceding territory to Moscow, and says he is constitutionally bound not to give away Crimea.Yevgeniy Sosnovsky, a photographer from the captured Ukrainian city of Mariupol, said he “cannot understand” how Ukraine would cede land already under its control.”Ukraine cannot give up any territories, not even those occupied by Russia,” he told AFP.Trump envoy Steve Witkoff said Moscow had made “some concessions” on territory, and that there was an “important discussion with regard to Donetsk and what would happen there.””That discussion is going to specifically be detailed on Monday,” he told CNN, without giving details.Washington has not placed extra sanctions on Moscow, and the lavish welcome offered to Putin in Alaska on his first visit to the West since he invaded Ukraine in 2022 was seen as a diplomatic coup for Russia.But Trump has raised the possibility of a collective defense guarantee for Ukraine similar to the one in place for NATO members, once the war is over.The promise would be outside of the framework of the Western military alliance that Ukraine wants to join and which is seen as an existential threat by Russia.Speaking in Brussels on the eve of his visit to the United States, Zelensky said he was keen to hear more about what Putin and Trump discussed in Alaska.He also hailed Washington’s offer of security guarantees to Ukraine as “historic.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was up to Russia to end its invasion, ahead of high-stakes talks on Monday with US counterpart Donald Trump, who is pressuring Ukraine to give up Crimea and abandon its NATO ambitions.The comments came hours before Zelensky and European leaders were scheduled to meet Trump in Washington, a follow-up to a summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska on Friday that failed to produce a ceasefire.Trump, who dropped his insistence on a ceasefire in favor of a final peace deal after meeting Putin, said late Sunday that Zelensky could end the three-and-a-half-year war “almost immediately, if he wants to.””Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”, Trump wrote on Truth Social.Announcing that he had landed in Washington, Zelensky wrote later: “Russia must end this war, which it itself started.””Ukrainians are fighting for their land, their independence,” he said, adding that he hoped “that our joint strength with America, with our European friends, will force Russia into a real peace.”Trump and Zelensky are expected to meet one-on-one before being joined by the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Finland, as well as NATO chief Mark Rutte and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, according to the White House.Ahead of Monday’s meeting, China called for “all parties” to agree to peace “as soon as possible.”It will be the first time Zelensky visits Washington since a bust-up with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February, when the two men berated the Ukrainian leader for being “ungrateful.”Russia kept up its attacks on Ukraine ahead of the new talks, firing at least 140 drones and four ballistic missiles at the country between late Sunday and early Monday, the Ukrainian air force said.A Russian drone attack on a five-story apartment block in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv just before dawn killed at least seven people, authorities said.Ukrainian shelling attacks in the Russian-occupied parts of the Kherson and Donetsk regions meanwhile killed two people, Moscow-installed authorities said.- Security guarantees -Since the Oval Office row with Zelensky in February, Trump has grown more critical of Putin and shown some signs of frustration as Russia repeatedly stalled on peace talks.But Washington has not placed extra sanctions on Moscow, and the lavish welcome offered to Putin in Alaska on his first visit to the West since he invaded Ukraine in 2022 was seen as a diplomatic coup for Russia.Speaking in Brussels on the eve of his visit to the United States, Zelensky said he was keen to hear more about what Putin and Trump discussed in Alaska.He also hailed Washington’s offer of security guarantees to Ukraine as “historic.”Trump said he spoke to Putin about the possibility of a collective defense guarantee for Ukraine similar to the one in place for NATO members.The promise would be outside of the framework of the Western military alliance that Ukraine wants to join and which is seen as an existential threat by Russia.- Discussion on land -Trump envoy Steve Witkoff said Moscow had made “some concessions” regarding five Ukrainian regions that Russia now fully or partially controls, and that there was an “important discussion with regard to Donetsk and what would happen there.””That discussion is going to specifically be detailed on Monday,” he told CNN, without giving details.Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 following a referendum denounced as a sham by Kyiv and the West, and did the same in 2022 in four Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk and Zaporizhzhia — even though its forces have not fully captured them.A source briefed on a phone call between Trump and European leaders on Saturday told AFP that the US leader was “inclined to support” a Russian demand to be given territory it had not yet captured in the Donbas, an area that includes the Donetsk and Lugansk regions and that has seen the deadliest battles of the war.In exchange, Moscow would agree to “freeze” the front line in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, regions where Russian forces hold swathes of territory but not the regional capitals, the source cited Trump as saying.Russia had until now insisted that Ukraine pull its forces from all four regions as a precondition to any deal.Zelensky has said he is constitutionally bound not to give away any Ukrainian territory.

Hurricane Erin restrengthened into a Category 4 storm late Sunday, with forecasters warning it is expected to intensify and grow in size in the coming days as it lashes Caribbean islands with heavy rains that could cause flash floods and landslides.The first hurricane of what is expected to be a particularly intense Atlantic season, Erin briefly strengthened into a “catastrophic” Category 5 storm before its wind speeds weakened.Forecasters do not currently expect it to make landfall along its expected course, but tropical storm warnings are in effect for the southeast Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.Hurricane Erin was located about 130 miles (205 kilometers) east of Grand Turk Island at 11:00 pm Atlantic Standard Time (Monday 0300 GMT), with maximum sustained winds of 130 miles (215 kilometers) per hour, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC).”The core of Erin is expected to pass to the east and northeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas overnight into Monday,” the NHC said in its latest report.The North Carolina Outer Banks, Bermuda and the central Bahamas were advised to monitor Erin’s progress.Hurricane Erin had reached the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale just over 24 hours after becoming a Category 1 storm, a rapid intensification that scientists say has become more common due to global warming.It could drench isolated areas with as much as six inches (15 centimeters) of rain, the NHC said.”Some additional strengthening is expected over the next 12 hours followed by gradual weakening,” the agency said.”However, Erin is forecast to continue increasing in size and will remain a large and dangerous major hurricane through the middle of this week,” it added.The NHC also warned of “locally considerable flash and urban flooding, along with landslides or mudslides.”- Climate hazard -In San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, fishermen cast their rods into the storm-swollen waters of a local river on Sunday, AFP images showed.Earlier last weekend, surfers rode the swells along the island’s coast before the storm approached.Areas of Puerto Rico — a US territory home to more than three million people — saw flooded roads and homes. Swells generated by Erin will spread to the Bahamas, Bermuda and the US and Canadian east coast in the coming days, creating “life-threatening surf and rip currents,” the NHC said.While meteorologists have expressed confidence that Erin will remain well off the United States coast, they said the storm could still cause dangerous waves and erosion in places such as North Carolina.The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June until late November, is expected to be more intense than normal, US meteorologists predict.Several powerful storms wreaked havoc in the region last year, including Hurricane Helene, which killed more than 200 people in the southeastern United States.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — which operates the NHC — has been subject to budget cuts and layoffs as part of US President Donald Trump’s plans to greatly reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy, leading to fears of lapses in storm forecasting.Human-driven climate change — namely, rising sea temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels — has increased both the possibility of the development of more intense storms and their more rapid intensification, scientists say.

US President Donald Trump said reclaiming Crimea or entering NATO were off the table for Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington for Monday talks aimed at ending the war with Russia.Zelensky, who has repeatedly rejected territorial concessions, will meet Trump in Washington on Monday, accompanied by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and other leaders.The meeting comes on the heels of a summit between Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, which failed to yield a ceasefire breakthrough but produced promises from both leaders to provide “robust security guarantees” to Ukraine.Zelensky was not invited to the Alaska meeting, after which Trump pivoted to the long-held Russian position that a ceasefire was not needed before a final peace deal.”President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,” Trump posted on his social media platform. “Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”Trump and Zelensky are expected to meet one-on-one before being joined by a cohort of European leaders on Monday, according to the White House schedule.Along with von der Leyen, NATO chief Mark Rutte and the leaders of Britain, Finland, France, Germany and Italy will be present.It will be the first time Zelensky visits Washington since a bust-up with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February when the two men berated the Ukrainian leader for being “ungrateful.”On Sunday night, after arriving in Washington, Zelensky said: “We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably.”- Security guarantees -Since the Oval Office row in February, Trump has grown more critical of Putin and shown some signs of frustration as Russia repeatedly stalled on peace talks.But Washington has not placed extra sanctions on Moscow and the lavish welcome offered to Putin in Alaska on his first visit to the West since he invaded Ukraine in 2022 was seen as a diplomatic coup for Russia.Speaking in Brussels on the eve of his visit to the United States, Zelensky said he was keen to hear more about what Putin and Trump discussed in Alaska.He also hailed Washington’s offer of security guarantees to Ukraine as “historic.”Trump said he spoke to Putin about the possibility of a NATO-style collective defense guarantee for Ukraine.The promise would be outside of the framework of the Western military alliance that Ukraine wants to join and which is seen as an existential threat by Russia.French President Emmanuel Macron said European leaders would ask Trump “to what extent” Washington is ready to contribute to security guarantees for Ukraine.- Discussion on land -Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said Moscow had made “some concessions” regarding five Ukrainian regions that Russia fully or partially controls, and said that “there is an important discussion with regard to Donetsk and what would happen there.”That discussion is going to specifically be detailed on Monday,” he said, without giving details.Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 following a sham referendum and did the same in 2022 for four Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk and Zaporizhzhia — even though its forces have not fully captured them.A source briefed on a phone call between Trump and European leaders on Saturday told AFP that the US leader was “inclined to support” a Russian demand to be given territory it has not yet captured in the Donbas, an area that includes the Donetsk and Lugansk regions and which has seen the deadliest battles of the war.In exchange, the source cited Trump as saying, Moscow would agree to “freeze” the front line in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Russian forces hold swathes of territory but not the regional capitals.Russia has until now insisted that Ukraine pull its forces out of all four regions as a precondition to any deal.- ‘Capitulation’ -There is concern in Europe that Washington could pressure Ukraine to accept Russia’s terms.”For peace to prevail, pressure must be applied to the aggressor, not the victim of aggression,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Sunday.Macron said: “There is only one state proposing a peace that would be a capitulation: Russia.”Zelensky has repeatedly pushed back against ceding territory, but said he is ready to discuss the issue in the context of a trilateral summit with Trump and Putin.Trump has raised the possibility of such a meeting, but Russia has played down the prospect.Moscow’s forces have been advancing gradually but steadily in Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk region.Russian attacks on Kharkiv killed three people and wounded dozens more, Ukrainian authorities said Monday, while a separate overnight attack on the Sumy region near the border wounded two others. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky returns to the Oval Office on Monday for the first time since a spectacularly tense exchange with Donald Trump saw their talks cut short and question marks raised over future US support.At the February 28 meeting, Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky on live television, accusing him of being ungrateful for US aid provided since Russia’s invasion three years prior, and pressing for quick negotiations to end the war.The hostile confrontation marked a turning point in Kyiv-Washington relations, which had been warm under former president Joe Biden, and raised fears that Trump would cut off US military support.The scene quickly devolved at the end of a long question-and-answer session with the press.Vance accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” and displaying ingratitude for Trump’s diplomatic efforts, after the Ukrainian leader expressed skepticism that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be trusted given his repeated violations of earlier agreements.As Zelensky defended his position in his non-native English, Trump was enraged by the Ukrainian leader’s suggestion that while the United States was currently far from the fighting, “you will feel it in the future” if they appeased Putin.”You don’t know that. You don’t know that. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” railed Trump, before adding: “You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now.”As tempers flared, Vance demanded Zelensky thank the United States for the billions provided to Kyiv in military aid.”Have you said ‘thank you’ once?” he asked. When Zelensky attempted to respond, he was silenced by Trump.”No, no. You’ve done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble,” said Trump, cutting Zelensky off.The Ukrainian leader left the White House shortly after, without signing a mineral rights deal that was a key reason for his visit.In the ensuing days, the United States temporarily cut off military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, heightening European fears that Trump would side with Putin in trying to end the conflict.- Shifting tides -Much water has since flowed under the bridge, however.Trump, who has in the past expressed his admiration for Putin, began to lose patience with the Russian leader, as Moscow kept up its military offensive even as US special envoy Steve Witkoff engaged in feverish diplomacy to achieve a ceasefire.In April, Trump met with Zelensky at the Vatican, and accused Putin of “tapping me along” without delivering on promises.Days later, Ukraine and the United States finally signed a minerals deal, which Trump had earlier referred to as compensation for US aid.The two leaders also met face-to-face in June on the sidelines of the NATO summit at The Hague.On Friday, Trump met with Putin in Alaska to discuss the Ukrainian conflict, promising to run any proposals by both Ukraine and its European allies before agreeing to a deal.Shortly after the Putin summit, Trump invited Zelensky to the Oval Office.Perhaps wary of the contours of the previous diplomatic dust-up, Zelensky quickly said he was “grateful for the invitation.”European leaders will join Zelensky in Washington on Monday, seeking above all else to prevent another Oval Office meltdown — but also to coordinate on the path toward peace negotiations, especially on how to prevent any future Russian invasion.On the latter front, the Trump administration says it is now open to providing Ukraine security guarantees, a shift hailed Sunday by Ukrainian and European leaders.Zelensky is expected to first meet one-on-one with Trump, before they are joined by European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, a European government source said.According to US broadcaster CNN, Zelensky’s former sparring partner — Vice President Vance — will also be present.

European leaders said they would join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in talks with US President Donald Trump on Monday, as they try to find a way to end Russia’s offensive. Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday but the talks failed to yield any breakthrough on a ceasefire — though White House envoy Steve Witkoff said both leaders had agreed to provide “robust security guarantees” to Ukraine.European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen hailed the news, but Zelensky, speaking alongside her at a news conference in Brussels, rejected the idea of Russia offering his country security guarantees.”What President Trump said about security guarantees is much more important to me than Putin’s thoughts, because Putin will not give any security guarantees,” he said.Zelensky later said on social media that the US offer regarding security guarantees was “historic”.- Moscow denounces Macron -French President Emmanuel Macron, who will take part in the Washington meeting along with von der Leyen and others, said European leaders would ask about the extent of the security guarantees offered to Ukraine in any peace agreement.Of Moscow’s position, he said: “There is only one state proposing a peace that would be a capitulation: Russia.”Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called that an “abject lie” in a statement on Telegram later Sunday.Moscow had been proposing a “peaceful resolution” of the conflict for seven years under the terms of the Minsk Accords, she said. Macron, she added, was trying to convince Ukraine that it could win on the battlefield even when he knew that that was “impossible”.- Hopes for ‘productive meeting’ -Trump, who pivoted after the Alaska meeting to say he was now seeking a peace deal rather than a ceasefire, on Sunday posted “BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED!” on his Truth Social platform, without elaborating.Trump’s sudden focus on a peace deal aligns with the stance long taken by Putin, one which Ukraine and its European allies have criticised as Putin’s way to buy time while trying to make battlefield gains.Zelensky also said he saw “no sign” the Kremlin leader was prepared to meet him and Trump for a three-way summit, as had been floated by the US president.The leaders heading to Washington on Monday to appear alongside Zelensky call themselves the “coalition of the willing”. As well as von der Leyen and Macron, they include British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.Also heading to Washington will be Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who get on well with Trump.On Sunday, they all held a video meeting to prepare their joint position.Speaking to US broadcaster CNN, Witkoff said: “I’m hopeful that we have a productive meeting on Monday, we get to real consensus, we’re able to come back to the Russians and push this peace deal forward and get it done.”US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to NBC on Sunday, warned of “consequences” — including the potential imposition of new sanctions on Russia — if no peace deal was reached on Ukraine.- Territorial ‘concessions’ -European leaders have expressed unease from the outset over Trump’s outreach to Putin, who has demanded Ukraine abandon its ambitions to join the EU or NATO. They were excluded from Trump’s summit with Putin.Witkoff, in his CNN interview, said the process of offering “game-changing” security guarantees would involve territorial “concessions”.According to an official briefed on a call Trump held with Zelensky and European leaders as he flew back from Alaska, the US leader supported a Putin proposal that Russia take full control of two eastern Ukrainian regions in exchange for freezing the frontline in two others.Putin “de facto demands that Ukraine leave Donbas”, an area consisting of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in eastern Ukraine, which Russia currently only partly controls, the source said.In exchange, Russian forces would halt their offensive in the Black Sea port region of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, where the main cities are still under Ukrainian control.Several months into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia in September 2022 claimed to have annexed all four Ukrainian regions even though its troops still do not fully control any of them.”The Ukrainian president refused to leave Donbas,” the source said.On the ground in Ukraine, the conflict rages on, with both Kyiv and Moscow launching attack drones.Ukrainian authorities reported early Monday that 13 people were wounded in Russian strikes on Kharkiv and the Sumy region.