Ukraine war briefing: Trump urges China to help end Ukraine war

After meeting US president-elect, Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautions that Ukraine needs a ‘just and robust peace, that Russians will not destroy within a few years’. What we know on day 1,020

See all our Ukraine war coverage

Donald Trump has called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, a day after meeting the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Paris, claiming Kyiv “would like to make a deal” to end its war with Russia. “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed,” Trump said on Sunday in an online post. “I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The world is waiting!” Trump added. Trump said both sides had suffered enormous losses in the war – which he claimed on the US election campaign trail he would be able to end “in 24 hours” if elected. “Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness,” he added.

Zelenskyy described his discussions with Trump, brought together by French President Emmanuel Macron, as “constructive” but gave no further details. Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine needs a “just and robust peace, that Russians will not destroy within a few years.” “When we talk about an effective peace with Russia, we must talk first of all about effective peace guarantees. Ukrainians want peace more than anyone else. Russia brought war to our land,” he said Sunday in a post on the Telegram messaging app. Among Zelenskyy’s inner circle, there is an increasing awareness that, as the army struggles to hold back Russia on the frontline, some kind of negotiations will be necessary soon. But they fear that without solid security guarantees from the west, a ceasefire would be meaningless.

Like Joe Biden, president-elect Trump made a connection between the upheaval in Syria and Russia’s war in Ukraine, noting that allies of ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in Moscow, as well as in Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, “are in a weakened state right now”. Trump has suggested that Assad’s ousting could advance the prospects for an end to fighting in Ukraine.

In an interview taped on Friday, Trump said that his incoming administration would be open to reducing aid to Ukraine, which the United States has been steadfastly backing since its invasion by Russia. “Possibly. Yeah, probably, sure,” he told NBC’s Meet the Press. Trump renewed his warning to Nato allies that he did not see continued US participation in the alliance as a given during his second term. Asked whether he would consider the possibility of pulling out of Nato, Trump indicated that was an open question. “If they’re paying their bills, and if I think they’re treating us fairly, the answer is absolutely I’d stay with Nato,” he said. But if not, he was asked if he would consider pulling the US out of the alliance. Trump responded, “Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.” He refused to say if he had spoken to Putin since winning election in November. “I don’t want to say anything about that, because I don’t want to do anything that could impede the negotiation,” Trump said. The interview was taped Friday and aired on Sunday, ahead of three-way talks with Macron and Zelenskyy over the weekend in Paris.

Hopes for victory, a swift end to the war and prayers for their loved ones’ survival or return from Russian captivity are among the wishes scattered throughout letters sent by Ukrainian children living in frontline areas to a volunteer group. Every winter the volunteers travel to heavily damaged cities to deliver gifts and ensure that, despite the war, Ukrainian children can celebrate the holiday season. Gift requests include power banks to help families endure outages, as well as bicycles, books and even pets. This year, the group received 2,310 letters, according to project manager Inna Achkasova from the NGO Ukrainian Frontiers, who launched the St. Nicholas’ Reindeers initiative in 2015.

Continue reading...

from The Guardian https://ift.tt/mRNA2GV
via IFTTT

Comments

Eric Cantona hints he would be interested in role at Man Utd under Jim Ratcliffe

Ratcliffe has completed a deal to buy a 27.7 per cent stake in United and Cantona is confident the club will be challenging for major honours again. from The Independent Sport https://ift.tt/98meQju via IFTTT

despite their heroic victory against Honduras, Les Bleuets are eliminated for a small goal

After a disastrous start to the competition marked by two defeats against South Korea (2-1) and Gambia (2-1), Les Bleuets faced Honduras. A decisive match for Landry Chauvin’s players who played their survival during this third and last day of the group stage of group F of the U20 World Cup which is currently taking place in Argentina. While the two teams went blow for blow with hot situations on both sides of the field, Ousmane Camara was sent off just before the end of the first quarter of an hour following a foul on Daniel Carter. The young French shoots were therefore already at ten after only 15 short minutes of play (13th). After this fault and the expulsion of the French defender, Honduras had a good free kick full axis near the French surface. What’s next after this ad Odin Ramos then sent a missile into the right corner of Thimothée Lo-Tutala, beaten (15th, 1-0). Les Bleuets took a real blow on the head with this opener and it was necessary to wait several minutes before...

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 723

Ukraine troops reinforce Avdiivka as some defenders withdraw to better positions; lack of US aid already affecting battlefield, says Nato chief See all our Ukraine war coverage US congressional delaying of fresh military aid for Ukraine is already having an impact on the battlefield, Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has warned at a defence ministers’ meeting. Jens Stoltenberg said he still believed Congress would eventually approve the stalled $60bn (£50bn) package. Ukraine has said its economy should be rebuilt using frozen Russian assets after a report showed the cost of reconstruction increasing to almost $500bn . An estimated $300bn of Russian assets have been frozen since the war started. The EU, US and western allies are debating how they can be used to benefit Ukraine. Ukraine is conducting a manoeuvre in Avdiivka to withdraw troops in some areas to “more advantageous positions”, a military spokesman said. At the same time, Ukraine has brought in reinforceme...

‘History makers’: elated Elokobi says Maidstone deserve ‘every bit of glory’

Stones’ manager hails ‘historic’ FA Cup win over Ipswich ‘Absolutely amazing celebrations … The gods were with us’ George Elokobi urged his “history makers” to enjoy their extraordinary achievement after Maidstone United reached the FA Cup fifth round for the first time. The National League South club won their seventh match in this season’s competition to dump Ipswich out at Portman Road. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/hS4i0J8 via IFTTT

Neymar: He sends a punchline to the new PSG coach!

Graduated from the School of Journalism in Paris. Specialized in football, and more particularly on the transfer window. Fan of PSG and Stade Français. Expected by PSG, Luis Enrique is preparing to be appointed as coach in place of Christophe Galtier this summer. The Spanish coach has already convinced Neymar and Marco Verratti to stay at the Parc des Princes this summer, but Daniel Riolo wonders about it and issues a warning to PSG. It’s no longer a secret, Luis Enrique will be the next coach of the PSG and an agreement has been reached between the Spanish technician and the management of the capital club, which has already programmed the departure of Christopher Galtier . As L’EQUIPE revealed on Tuesday, Enrique would already have a strong impact on the transfer window of the PSG since Neymar And Marco Verratti who were initially announced on the departure, would have finally decided to stay at the Parc des Princes with this appointment of Luis Enrique who greatly ap...

PSG: Mbappé at the heart of an improbable clash its heating up!

Graduated from the School of Journalism in Paris. Specialized in football, and more particularly on the transfer window. Fan of PSG and Stade Français. Very close to Achraf Hakimi for two years now at PSG, Kylian Mbappé has forged a very special bond with the Moroccan right side. However, the agent of the latter attacks in a rather virulent way the mother of Mbappé, triggering a clash of clans for the less unexpected at PSG. Recruited at a high price by the PSG during the transfer window summer 2021 from Inter-Milan (68M€), Ashraf Hakimi quickly befriended Kylian Mbappe , and the two men are very close. A relationship that reached its climax during the World Cup in Qatar last winter, on the occasion of the shock France-Morocco in the semi-finals, during which Mbappe And Hakimi had not concealed their emotion in the confrontation. But an earthquake may come to upset the relationship between the two stars of the PSG . Mbappé – PSG: It’s confirmed, Qatar wants to compl...

PSG wants Mbappé its confirmed

Learning that Kylian Mbappé did not want to extend to PSG made the Parisian leaders sweat. A player agent has just confirmed it. The showdown would therefore be very real between Kylian Mbappé and PSG. The leaders of the French champion club would have been surprised at the decision of their best player not to extend beyond June 30, 2024. ” I spoke with people close to the Qatari family who run the club and they told me they were very angry confided Marco Kirdemir to brand in comments reported by RMC Sports. They had confidence in the fact that he was going to extend. The emir is very upset . » Read also – PSG: Mbappé in Liverpool, the crazy offer at 300 million Two weeks ago, this players’ agent assured that Mbappé would wear the Real Madrid shirt next season. This same Marco Kirdemir conceded, still to brand that the Spanish club was not the only one in the ranks. The attitude of the Parisian leaders had already been reported by the French press two weeks ago, in the hour...

Ukraine war briefing: Villages locked down in Putin’s Belgorod ‘sanitary zone’

Czech ammunition factory for Ukraine; Baltic states to cut electrical grid ties with Russia and Belarus. What we know on day 875 Russia has been forced to lock down 14 border villages in its Belgorod region due to the Ukrainian fightback against Russian attacks on the Kharkiv region across the border. “From July 23 we are restricting access to 14 residential settlements where the operational situation is extremely difficult,” said the Belgorod governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov. Vladimir Putin launched a May ground offensive on the north-eastern Kharkiv region that he said was intended to create a buffer or “sanitary zone” to protect the Belgorod region but it has instead come under continued shelling and drone attacks from Ukraine, with frequent fatalities, while Russian successes in the Kharkiv region have been limited. The chief of Russia’s general staff, Valery Gerasimov, thanked Russian forces on Tuesday for capturing the village of Urozhaine in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, R...

Deadly cancer treatment delays now ‘routine’ in NHS, say damning reports

Studies sound alarm at state of cancer care with hundreds of thousands waiting months to start essential treatment Hundreds of thousands of people are being forced to wait months to start essential cancer treatment, with deadly delays now “routine” and even children struck by the disease denied vital support, according to a series of damning reports. Health chiefs, charities and doctors have sounded the alarm over the state of cancer care in the UK as three separate studies painted a shocking picture of long waits and NHS staff being severely hampered by a worsening workforce crisis and a chronic lack of equipment. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zjCTq1V via IFTTT

Australian women’s football: a century ago they fought for the right to play – and 10,000 people turned out to watch

After secret training sessions in a dimly lit gym, the Reds and the Blues set a crowd record that lasted 96 years The Gabba is better known for hosting Ashes Tests , the Brisbane Lions, and the odd Adele concert . But on 24 September 1921, the Brisbane cricket ground hosted one of the most significant fixtures in Australian women’s football history – the first representative match. The Queensland Football Association (QFA), the tightly clenched men’s state governing body, had taken no small amount of convincing to include women’s teams on their match-day card. However, funds raised from the estimated turnout, newspapers report about 10,000, certainly eased their torment. That would remain a record crowd for a women’s match in Australia for nearly a century, when the Matildas defeated Brazil at a sold out Penrith stadium with 17,000 watching on in 2017. The women got a cut of gate takings too – their £90 share is the first recognised income for women’s football in Australia. Continue...

The Voice Reveal

Search This Blog

When is the 2025 Australia election date? Everything you need to know about early voting, how to apply for a postal vote, what to do if you are overseas and more