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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 President Donald Trump.As the Republican-led Texas House reached a necessary quorum to get back to business and address proposed congressional maps, Democratic-ruled California confirmed it would punch back with electoral map changes of its own.With the Democrats’ return to Austin, the Texas House began its moves towards approving a map that carves out five new Republican-friendly US congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.Trump on Monday posted the proposed map of Texas on his Truth Social platform, calling it “one of the most popular initiatives I have ever supported” and calling on Republicans to “Please pass this Map, ASAP.”More than 50 Texas Democrats had stalled legislative business with their walk-out, making national headlines as they visited blue strongholds New York, Illinois and California and 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 Texas moves triggered an escalating redistricting battle across the country, with Republican governors in several states exploring new maps aimed at protecting the party’s razor-thin majority in the US House of Representatives.Politico reported that Republicans could draw as many as 10 new seats and are targeting Ohio, Missouri, New Hampshire, Indiana, South Carolina and Florida.- ‘Choice to fight back’  -On Monday, California state lawmakers introduced their own legislative package, with three bills to create a voter referendum this year for a new congressional map that would effectively counteract any new Republican  Texas congressional seats.If approved in the state of 39 million residents, the referendum would appear on California’s November 4 ballot.”California and Californians have been uniquely targeted by the Trump Administration, and we are not going to sit idle while they command Texas and other states to rig the next election to keep power — pursuing more extreme and unpopular policies,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement Monday. “This proposal would give Californians a choice to fight back — and bring much needed accountability and oversight to the Trump Administration.”Districts are usually redrawn every 10 years after the national census and are supposed to be based on its findings, so that districts accurately represent the people who live there.New York Democrats may follow suit, with Governor Kathy Hochul calling the Texas redistricting plan nothing short of a “legal insurrection.”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. 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 maps.Abbott called a second special session that began on Friday.

US President Donald Trump said Monday he had started arranging a peace summit between Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, after intensive talks with Zelensky and European leaders at the White House.Trump said he had spoken by phone with Putin — whom he met in Alaska last week — following a “very good” meeting with the Europeans and the Ukrainian president in the White House.”At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.Trump, 79, said that he himself would then hold a three-way summit with the Ukrainian and Russian leaders.”Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine,” Trump wrote.Putin told Trump that he was ready to meet Zelensky, a source familiar with talks told AFP.The US president also said he had discussed security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace deal with Russia, with Europe taking the lead and coordinating with Washington.Trump said earlier that Putin had agreed to Western security guarantees for Ukraine, despite the Russian leader ruling out Kyiv’s long-held dream of joining the NATO alliance.”During the meeting we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America,” Trump said on Truth Social.- Zelensky hails ‘best’ meeting -The White House was the venue for an extraordinary — and pointed — meeting gathering Trump with Zelensky plus the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Commission and NATO.Zelensky also met one-on-one in the Oval Office with Trump in their first encounter in the heart of the US presidency since their acrimonious blow-up there in February.The Ukrainian president said the meeting was their “best” yet.This time 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.The US president meanwhile expressed optimism over the chances of ending Russia’s invasion .”In a week or two weeks, we’re going to know whether or not we’re going to solve this or is this horrible fighting going to continue,” Trump said as he opened the meeting.The presence of the European leaders however also underscored continuing nervousness about Trump’s pressure on Kyiv to make concessions to Moscow.- ‘Exchanges of territory’ -Trump had pushed Ukraine ahead of the meeting to give up Crimea and abandon its goal of joining NATO — both key demands made by Putin.Trump said that during the White House talks on Monday they also “need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory” between Russia and Ukraine.Reports had said Putin was pushing for Ukraine to cede its eastern Donbas region, much of which is still partly in Kyiv’s hands, in exchange for freezing the frontline elsewhere.Ukraine has rejected any such move.The Europeans nevertheless lined up to praise Trump as they called for a lasting peace to end Russia’s invasion.”I’m really excited. Let’s make the best out of today,” NATO chief Mark Rutte said as the US president went round the table asking them to comment.French President Emmanuel Macron, however, called for a separate four-way meeting including Europeans to deal with a grinding conflict that is on their doorstep.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meanwhile contradicted Trump’s call to go straight for a full peace deal instead of an immediate ceasefire, calling for a truce before any leaders’ summit.He also sounded a note of caution after the talks, saying Ukraine must not be forced to give up territory to Russia.Russian strikes overnight killed at least seven people in Ukraine, including two children.

A dealer dubbed the “Ketamine Queen” has agreed to plead guilty to supplying the drugs that killed “Friends” actor Matthew Perry, the US Department of Justice said Monday.Jasveen Sangha, 42, will admit several charges, including one of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury in relation to the late star.A dual citizen of the United States and Britain, she is expected to formally enter her pleas in the coming weeks. She has been in federal custody since August 2024.Sangha will become the fifth person to admit playing a part in the death of the beloved actor, who had openly struggled for decades with substance addiction.Perry, 54, was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home in October 2023.A criminal investigation was launched soon after an autopsy discovered he had high levels of ketamine — an anesthetic — in his system.Last month, Dr Salvador Plasencia pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine in the weeks before Perry’s death.Another doctor, Mark Chavez, admitted last year to conspiring to distribute ketamine to Perry.Plasencia allegedly bought ketamine off Chavez and sold it to the American-Canadian actor at hugely inflated prices.”I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia wrote in one text message.According to her plea agreement, Sangha worked with a middleman, Erik Fleming, to sell 51 vials of ketamine to Perry’s live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa.Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with the ketamine that Sangha supplied, including on October 28, 2023, when he administered at least three shots of Sangha’s ketamine, which killed the actor.The Justice Department said when Sangha heard news reports about Perry’s sudden death, she tried to cover her tracks.”Delete all our messages,” she instructed Fleming.When investigators raided Sangha’s home they found methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy, cocaine, and counterfeit Xanax pills, as well as a money counting machine, a scale, and devices to detect wireless signals and hidden cameras, according to the Justice Department.- ‘Mostly sober’ -Sangha is expected to plead guilty to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.”She’s taking responsibility for her actions,” her lawyer Mark Geragos told AFP.Sangha could face decades in prison when sentenced.The other people involved in the supply of drugs to Perry are expected to appear in court over the coming months to learn their fates.Perry had been taking ketamine as part of supervised therapy for depression.But prosecutors say that before his death he became addicted to the substance, which also has psychedelic properties and is a popular party drug.”Friends,” which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive following and made megastars of previously unknown actors.Perry’s role as the sarcastic man-child Chandler brought him fabulous wealth, but hid a dark struggle with addiction to painkillers and alcohol.In 2018, he suffered a drug-related burst colon and underwent multiple surgeries.In his 2022 memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” Perry described going through detox dozens of times.”I have mostly been sober since 2001,” he wrote, “save for about sixty or seventy little mishaps.”

US President Donald Trump said Monday he would lead a “movement” against mail-in balloting as he seeks to eliminate a voting method used by nearly a third of the country ahead of next year’s midterm elections.Trump — who has spent years railing against postal ballots, even though they have benefited his Republicans and he has voted by mail — said he would sign an executive order to help bring “honesty” to the midterms. “I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly Inaccurate, Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES,” he posted on his Truth Social platform.Mail-in and absentee ballots can be counted after Election Day in 18 states so long as they’re postmarked on or before that date, and just over 30 percent of those cast in the 2024 election were submitted by mail.There is no evidence that postal voting is less secure than other methods and pro-democracy groups say ending it could disenfranchise millions of Americans with disabilities and other difficulties turning out in person.But Trump repeatedly spread misinformation about the practice as he campaigned in 2020 and 2024. After his defeat in 2020, he falsely claimed that tens of thousands of fraudulent mail-in ballots had helped Democrat Joe Biden beat him.Trump said Friday his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin — whom US investigators found interfered on the Republican’s behalf in the 2016 election — agreed with him that letting voters send in ballots by mail risked election integrity.”You know, Vladimir Putin said something, one of the most interesting things,” Trump told Fox News.”He said, ‘Your election was rigged because you have mail-in voting.’ He said, ‘Mail-in voting, every election.’ He said, ‘No country has mail-in voting. It’s impossible to have mail-in voting and have honest elections.'”Trump claimed falsely in his Truth Social post and again at an Oval Office press event on Monday that America is the only country in the world that uses postal voting.- ‘Dead on arrival’ -In fact, data compiled by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance shows there are 34 countries worldwide allowing in‑country postal voting — including Germany, Britain, Denmark and US neighbor Canada.Trump issued an executive order in March directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to “take all necessary action” against states counting absentee or mail-in ballots received after the election, even if they were postmarked by Election Day.A judge ruled that Trump lacked the authority to impose state election rules and blocked the edict.The US constitution is clear that the “times, places and manner” of congressional elections is up to the legislatures in each state and not the business of the president. Despite his criticism, Trump cast mail ballots twice in Florida in 2020 primary elections and used absentee ballots in New York in 2018 and 2017. But he voted in-person in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.His critics suspect his main concern in seeking to end mail-in voting is that it benefits Democrats, who outnumber Republicans using absentee or postal ballots.The president was asked about his new “movement” during a press event in the White House on Monday and repeated his claims about mail-in voting being more susceptible to fraud — but also confirmed that he is motivated by the political realities.”It’s time that the Republicans get tough and stop it, because the Democrats want it,” he said. “It’s the only way they can get elected.” Chuck Schumer, who leads the Democratic minority in the US Senate, accused Trump of seeking a return to the “Jim Crow” era of the late 1870s to mid-1960s, when many states enforced racial segregation and disenfranchised African Americans.”Senate Democrats will make sure that any and every measure that would make it even more difficult for Americans to vote will be dead on arrival in the Senate and will continue to fight to protect our democracy,” he said.

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.