Trump-Zelensky meeting live: President pushes to end Ukraine-Russia war as he rules out US troops on the ground

The State Division has responded to Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov’s declare that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated he favored his sweater bearing the letters “CCCP,” the Cyrillic letters for the Soviet Union.

A State Division spokesperson instructed The Unbiased: “Within the midst of historic peace agreements being led by the President of america, it’s unbelievable, however predictable, that the media will discover any cause to keep away from protecting this administration’s successes.”

The sweatshirt gave the impression to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to claims from Putin’s critics, who say he needs to rebuild Soviet Russia.

Bryony Gooch has extra particulars on Lavrov’s sweater:

Senator Lindsey Graham has indicated that Donald Trump could now be ready to again a bipartisan sanctions invoice geared toward crippling Russia’s financial system, following a cellphone name between the 2.

Chatting with The Related Press on Tuesday, Senator Graham acknowledged that if peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia don’t present vital progress by subsequent month, then a “Plan B” would must be activated. For months, the Republican senator has been a vocal proponent of imposing extreme tariffs on nations that present monetary assist for Russia’s navy actions.

Following his dialog with Mr Trump, Senator Graham instructed a shift within the president’s stance.

He instructed reporters in South Carolina: “Trump believes that if Putin doesn’t do his half, that he’s going to need to crush his financial system. Since you received to imply what you say.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin can be granted“immunity” if he visits Switzerland for a gathering about the way forward for the warfare in Ukraine, Swiss Overseas Minister Ignazio Cassis stated, Politico reported.

The Worldwide Felony Courtroom issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023 over his invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump introduced in a Reality Social publish Tuesday that he, was arranging a trilateral assembly with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however famous the placement had but to be decided.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday instructed Geneva, Switzerland host the summit.

Switzerland can host the assembly “regardless of the arrest warrant towards Putin due to our particular position and Geneva’s position because the European headquarters of the U.N,” the nation’s international minister stated.

Switzerland is open to internet hosting peace talks, Swiss Overseas Minister Ignazio Cassis stated Tuesday to SRF.

“We’re prepared for such a gathering, and we’re grateful for the belief positioned in us,” Cassis stated, whereas at a diplomatic convention in Bern. “We’ve got all the time signaled our willingness, but it surely, after all, hinges on the willingness of the key powers.”

Cassis stated Russian President Vladimir Putin, who’s the topic of an arrest warrant from the Worldwide Felony Courtroom over his invasion of Ukraine, can be granted “immunity” if he had been to attend such a gathering within the nation.

“We’ve got clarified the authorized scenario,” Cassis stated. “We may maintain such a gathering, and we all know what must be achieved to make sure it goes easily. We will do that regardless of the arrest warrant towards Putin due to our particular position and Geneva’s position because the European headquarters of the UN.”

Different world leaders have stated they’re on board.

Italy’s Overseas Minister Antonio Tajani has expressed assist for the thought. “Geneva could possibly be the correct venue” for the assembly, Tajani told reporters in Bern, including: “Italy is in favor of happening in Geneva as a result of it’s a nation that has all the time labored for peace-building.”

French President Emmanuel Macron additionally stated he was backing Geneva to host the talks.

“It will likely be [hosted by] a impartial nation, perhaps Switzerland – I am pushing for Geneva – or one other nation,” Macron instructed French channel LCI on Tuesday.

The White Home is planning for a possible trilateral assembly in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, based on Politico.

The trilateral assembly would contain President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to offer any particulars a couple of venue for the assembly throughout a briefing on Tuesday.

Normal Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, will host navy leaders from Germany, the UK, France, Finland, and Italy in Washington this week.

A White Home official confirmed talks will concentrate on the right way to implement safety ensures for Ukraine.

At right now’s press briefing, the White Home reiterated that American troops is not going to be deployed to Ukraine, even to implement a possible peace settlement with Russia, although different types of safety ensures stay an possibility.

White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the administration’s stance, stating: “The president has definitively acknowledged U.S. boots is not going to be on the bottom in Ukraine, however we will actually assist in the coordination and maybe present different technique of safety ensures to our European allies.”

This comes as the opportunity of U.S. air assist in Ukraine can be being thought of as an “possibility and a risk.”

President Donald Trump is actively pushing for “direct diplomacy” between Russia and Ukraine, Leavitt confirmed. Trump is reportedly arranging a gathering between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the purpose of a subsequent trilateral assembly involving himself, and the 2 leaders.

Addressing questions concerning the shift from a trilateral to a bilateral focus, Leavitt defined that President Trump has engaged with each leaders, who’ve expressed a willingness to fulfill. “The president has spoken to each leaders about this, and each leaders have expressed a willingness to sit down down with one another, and so our nationwide safety group will assist each international locations do this,” she stated.

Leavitt added that President Trump believes “there are areas of disagreement on this warfare that must be mentioned and determined upon by these two international locations, and so he needs these two international locations to interact in direct diplomacy.”

The White Home additionally addressed reviews that President Trump spoke with Putin throughout a gathering of European leaders on the White Home.

Leavitt defended the decision, stating that the European leaders, whose international locations are straight impacted by the battle, had been “very grateful that the president took that decision and that he was there to offer them with a readout of Russia’s pondering on this, one thing that was not achieved by the earlier administration in any respect.”