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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.

Hurricane Erin was downgraded to a Category 3 storm Sunday, but forecasters warn it is expected to intensify and grow in size in 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 275 miles (445 kilometers) north of San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 5:00 pm Atlantic Standard Time (2100 GMT), with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles (205 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 tonight and Monday,” the NHC said in their 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 eight inches (20 centimeters) of rain, the NHC said.”Some increase in size and strength is forecast during the next 48 hours. Erin is likely to remain a dangerous major hurricane through the middle of this week,” the agency said.It also warned of “locally considerable flash and urban flooding, along with landslides or mudslides.”- Climate hazard -In Luquillo, a coastal town of Puerto Rico, surfers rode the swells while beachgoers milled about the shore on an overcast Saturday before the storm approached, AFP images show.Areas of the 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 East Coast early next week, 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.

Buzzy horror film “Weapons” won the North American box office for a second week running with $25 million in ticket sales, industry estimates showed Sunday.The Warner Bros. movie starring Julia Garner (“Ozark”) and Josh Brolin (“Avengers: Infinity War”) tells the story of the mysterious disappearance of a group of children from the same school class. Analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research called it a “strong” week-two performance, especially in a quiet summer weekend at the movies in the United States and Canada.Holding in second place was Disney’s “Freakier Friday” starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, the much-anticipated sequel to the 2003 body-swapping family film, at $14.5 million, Exhibitor Relations said.Debuting in third place was Universal action sequel “Nobody 2,” starring Bob Odenkirk of “Better Call Saul” fame, at $9.3 million. “Critics like this story about a workaholic assassin trying to take a vacation with his family while getting caught up in trouble. Reviews and audience scores are both very good,” Gross said.”The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” Disney’s reboot of the Marvel Comics franchise, dropped to fourth place at $8.8 million.Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Emmy winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach star as the titular team of superheroes, who must save a retro-futuristic world from the evil Galactus.Universal’s family-friendly animation sequel “The Bad Guys 2,” about a squad of goofy animal criminals actually doing good in their rebranded lives, dropped to fifth, earning $7.5 million.Rounding out the top 10 were:”Superman” ($5.3 million)”The Naked Gun” ($4.8 million)”Jurassic World: Rebirth” ($2.9 million)”F1: The Movie” ($2.7 million)”Coolie” ($2.4 million)

European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Washington on Monday seeking an end to Moscow’s invasion, after President Donald Trump dropped his push for a ceasefire following an Alaska summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.Securing a ceasefire in Ukraine, more than three years after the Kremlin ordered the invasion, had been one of Trump’s core demands before the summit, to which Ukraine and its European allies were not invited.But after the meeting yielded no breakthrough, Trump ruled out an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine — a move that would appear to favour Putin, who has long argued for negotiations on a final peace deal. Ukraine and its European allies have criticised Putin’s stance as a way to buy time and press Russia’s battlefield advances. The leaders heading to Washington on Monday to try and bend Trump’s ear on the matter include British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron,, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary-General Mark RutteEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is also going to the White House, said on X she would welcome Zelensky to Brussels on Sunday for a meeting in Brussels the other European leaders would join by video.Also heading to Washington will be Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubbs, who get on well with Trump.The German government, which confirmed Merz was going, said it would try to emphasise “interest in a swift peace agreement in Ukraine”.Trump had briefed Zelensky and European leaders on his flight back from Alaska to Washington, saying afterwards that “it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement which would end the war”.Ceasefire agreements “often times do not hold up,” Trump argued on his Truth Social platform.But Zelensky has appeared unconvinced by the change of tack, saying on Saturday that it “complicates the situation”.If Moscow lacks “the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement (something) far greater — peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades,” he said on social media.European leaders for their part have expressed unease over Trump’s outreach to Putin from the outset. – ‘Harsh reality’ – Trump expressed support during his call with Zelensky and European leaders for a proposal by Putin to take full control of two eastern Ukrainian regions that Russia largely controls in exchange for freezing the frontline in two others, an official briefed on the talks told AFP.Putin “de facto demands that Ukraine leave Donbas,” an area consisting of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in eastern Ukraine, 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.Trump notably also said the United States was prepared to provide Ukraine security guarantees, an assurance Merz hailed as “significant progress”.But there was a scathing assessment of the summit outcome from the European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas, who accused Putin of seeking to “drag out negotiations” with no commitment to end the bloodshed.”The harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war any time soon,” Kallas said.- Zelensky back in White House -The diplomatic focus now switches to Zelensky’s talks at the White House on Monday with the European leaders in tow.The Ukrainian president’s last Oval Office visit in February ended in an extraordinary shouting match, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berating Zelensky for not showing enough gratitude for US aid.In an interview with broadcaster Fox News after his sit-down with Putin, Trump had suggested that the onus was now on Zelensky to secure a peace deal as they work towards an eventual trilateral summit with Putin.”It’s really up to President Zelensky to get it done,” Trump said.Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine rages on, with both Kyiv and Moscow launching attack drones at each other Sunday.In his post-summit statement in Alaska, Putin had warned Ukraine and European countries not to engage in any “behind-the-scenes intrigues” that could disrupt what he called “this emerging progress”.

European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Washington on Monday seeking an end to Moscow’s invasion, after President Donald Trump dropped his push for a ceasefire following his Alaska summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.Securing a ceasefire in Ukraine, more than three years after the Kremlin ordered the invasion, had been one of Trump’s core demands before the summit, to which Ukraine and its European allies were not invited.But after a meeting that yielded no clear breakthrough, Trump ruled out an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine — a move that would appear to favour Putin, who has long argued for negotiations on a final peace deal. Ukraine and its European allies have criticised it as a way to buy time and press Russia’s battlefield advances, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen among the leaders set to try and bend Trump’s ear on the matter.Ahead of the Washington visit on Monday, von der Leyen said on X she would welcome Zelensky for a meeting in Brussels on Sunday which other European leaders would join by video call, before accompanying the Ukrainian leader on his US trip at his “request” with “other European leaders”.The German government confirmed Merz was among those other European leaders, and would try to emphasise “interest in a swift peace agreement in Ukraine”.Finland said its president, Alexander Stubb, would also travel to Washington.Trump briefed Zelensky and European leaders on his flight back from Alaska to Washington, saying afterwards that “it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement which would end the war.”Ceasefire agreements “often times do not hold up,” Trump added on his Truth Social platform.But Zelensky has appeared unconvinced by the change of tack, saying on Saturday that it “complicates the situation”.If Moscow lacks “the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater — peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades,” he said on social media.- ‘Harsh reality’ – Trump expressed support during his call with Zelensky and European leaders for a proposal by Putin to take full control of two largely Russian-held Ukrainian regions in exchange for freezing the frontline in two others, an official briefed on the talks told AFP.Putin “de facto demands that Ukraine leave Donbas,” an area consisting of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in eastern Ukraine, 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.Trump notably also said the United States was prepared to provide Ukraine security guarantees, an assurance Merz hailed as “significant progress.”But there was a scathing assessment of the summit outcome from the European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas, who accused Putin of seeking to “drag out negotiations” with no commitment to end the bloodshed.”The harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war any time soon,” Kallas said.- Zelensky back in White House -The main diplomatic focus now switches to Zelensky’s talks at the White House on Monday.The Ukrainian president’s last Oval Office visit in February ended in an extraordinary shouting match, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berating Zelensky for not showing enough gratitude for US aid.In an interview with broadcaster Fox News after his sit-down with Putin, Trump had suggested that the onus was now on Zelensky to secure a peace deal as they work towards an eventual trilateral summit with Putin.”It’s really up to President Zelensky to get it done,” Trump said.- European pressure -In an earlier statement, European leaders welcomed the plan for a Trump-Putin-Zelensky summit but added that they would maintain pressure on Russia in the absence of a ceasefire.Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine raged on, with both Kyiv and Moscow launching attack drones at each other Sunday.Back in Moscow, Putin said his summit talks with Trump had been “timely” and “very useful.”In his post-summit statement in Alaska, Putin had warned Ukraine and European countries not to engage in any “behind-the-scenes intrigues” that could disrupt what he called “this emerging progress.”

Leaders of France, Germany and Britain will host a video call on Sunday for their so-called “coalition of the willing” to discuss steps towards ending the war in Ukraine, after Donald Trump dropped his push for a ceasefire after his Alaska summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.Securing a ceasefire in Ukraine, more than three years after Russia’s invasion, had been one of the US president’s core demands before the summit, to which Ukraine and its European allies were not invited.But after a meeting that yielded no clear breakthrough, Trump ruled out an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine — a move that would appear to favor Putin who has long argued for negotiations on a final peace deal. Ukraine and its European allies have criticized it as a way to buy time and press Russia’s battlefield advances.Trump spoke with Zelensky and European leaders on his flight back from Alaska to Washington, saying afterward that “it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement which would end the war.”Ceasefire agreements “often times do not hold up,” Trump added on his Truth Social platform.But Zelensky, who is due to visit Washington on Monday, appeared unconvinced by the change of tack, saying on Saturday that it “complicates the situation”.If Moscow lacks “the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater — peaceful coexistence with its neighbors for decades,” he said on social media.- ‘Harsh reality’ – Trump expressed support during his call with Zelensky and European leaders for a proposal by Putin to take full control of two largely Russian-held Ukrainian regions in exchange for freezing the frontline in two others, an official briefed on the talks told AFP.Putin “de facto demands that Ukraine leave Donbas,” an area consisting of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in eastern Ukraine, 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.Trump notably also said the United States was prepared to provide Ukraine security guarantees, an assurance German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hailed as “significant progress.”But there was a scathing assessment of the summit outcome from the European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas, who accused Putin of seeking to “drag out negotiations” with no commitment to end the bloodshed.”The harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war any time soon,” Kallas said.- Zelensky back in White House -The main diplomatic focus now switches to Zelensky’s talks at the White House on Monday.An EU source told AFP that a number of European leaders had also been invited to attend.The Ukrainian president’s last Oval Office visit in February ended in an extraordinary shouting match, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berating Zelensky for not showing enough gratitude for US aid.Zelensky said Saturday after a “substantive” conversation with Trump about the Alaska summit that he looked forward to his Washington visit and discussing “all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war.” In an interview with broadcaster Fox News after his sit-down with Putin, Trump had suggested that the onus was now on Zelensky to secure a peace deal as they work towards an eventual trilateral summit with Putin.”It’s really up to President Zelensky to get it done,” Trump said.- European pressure -In an earlier statement, European leaders welcomed the plan for a Trump-Putin-Zelensky summit but added that they would maintain pressure on Russia in the absence of a ceasefire.Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine raged on, with Kyiv announcing Saturday that Russia had launched 85 attack drones and a ballistic missile during the night.Back in Moscow, Putin said his summit talks with Trump had been “timely” and “very useful.”In his post-summit statement in Alaska, Putin had warned Ukraine and European countries not to engage in any “behind-the-scenes intrigues” that could disrupt what he called “this emerging progress.”

All Air Canada planes remained grounded late Saturday despite the Canadian government intervening to end a strike by cabin crew members that saw hundreds of flights cancelled and triggered summer travel chaos.Canada’s largest airline, which has 130,000 daily passengers and flies directly to 180 cities worldwide, said that all flights would be cancelled until Sunday afternoon pending a decision by the country’s industrial relations board.Air Canada had stopped all operations after some 10,000 flight attendants began industrial action fueled by a wage dispute just after midnight on Saturday.Hours later, Canada’s labor policy minister, Patty Hajdu, moved to invoke a legal provision that would halt the strike and force both sides into binding arbitration. “This is not a decision that I have taken lightly. The potential for immediate negative impact on Canadians and our economy is simply too great,” Hajdu told journalists.However, she said it could still take five to 10 days for Air Canada to resume regular services after the disruption.Air Canada said in a statement later Saturday that all flights remained grounded pending a decision by the Canada Industrial Relations Board on the government’s arbitration order.The airline also said customers on cancelled flights were being offered a full refund.It had earlier urged customers not to go to the airport if they have a ticket for Air Canada or its lower-cost subsidiary Air Canada Rouge.It said flights by Air Canada Express, which are operated by a third party, would not be impacted by the walkout.- ‘Terrible precedent’ – The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which is representing the workers, said its members would remain on strike until the government formally issues an order that they return to work.”Please remember there is only a referral, we are still in a legal position to strike and will continue to do so, we must show the company we are in control of this,” the union’s Air Canada branch wrote on Facebook. In a separate statement, CUPE slammed the Canadian government’s intervention as “rewarding Air Canada’s refusal to negotiate fairly by giving them exactly what they wanted.””This sets a terrible precedent,” it added. The union later pointed out that Maryse Tremblay, the chair of the Canada Industrial Relations Board, previously worked as legal counsel for Air Canada.Tremblay ruling on whether to end the strike was “an almost unthinkable display of conflict-of-interest,” the union said on Facebook.- Unpaid ground work -In addition to wage increases, the union says it wants to address uncompensated ground work, including during the boarding process. Rafael Gomez, who heads the University of Toronto’s Center for Industrial Relations, told AFP it is “common practice, even around the world” to compensate flight attendants based on time spent in the air. An average passenger, not familiar with common industry practice, could think, “‘I’m waiting to board the plane and there’s a flight attendant helping me, but they’re technically not being paid for that work,'” he said before the strike began. Air Canada detailed its latest offer in a Thursday statement, specifying that under the terms, a senior flight attendant would on average make CAN$87,000 ($65,000) by 2027.CUPE has described Air Canada’s offers as “below inflation (and) below market value.”The union has also rejected requests from the federal government and Air Canada to resolve outstanding issues through independent arbitration. Canada’s economy, though showing resilience, has begun feeling the effects of US President Donald Trump’s trade war, with his tariffs hitting crucial sectors like auto, aluminum and steel. In a statement issued before the strike began, the Business Council of Canada warned an Air Canada work stoppage could add further pain. “At a time when Canada is dealing with unprecedented pressures on our critical economic supply chains, the disruption of national air passenger travel and cargo transport services would cause immediate and extensive harm to all Canadians,” it said.