International

Trump says he will meet with Putin “very soon” to end the war in Ukraine

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said on Sunday that he could meet “very soon” with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine.

In statements to the press in West Palm Beach (Florida), Trump assured that his government is working “very hard” to achieve “peace” between Russia and Ukraine, and stressed that both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will participate in the negotiations.

His words come at a time when delegations from Russia and the United States are preparing to hold talks about the end of the conflict in Saudi Arabia, where an eventual summit between Trump and Putin could also be held.

Trump told the press that, although there is no set date for his summit with Putin, it could be “very soon.”

Asked about the possibility of the meeting with Putin taking place this month, Trump replied: “It will be soon. We’ll see what happens” and suggested that the summit will depend on the outcome of the talks in Saudi Arabia between the US and Russian diplomatic teams.

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Meanwhile, a Ukrainian delegation led by Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is already in Saudi Arabia, although it is not clear whether it will participate in the negotiations.

Trump revealed that this Sunday he spoke with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who is part of the US delegation in negotiations with Russia, and assured that the peace process “is progressing” and that his team is “working very hard on it.”

Asked if Zelenski will participate in the negotiations in Saudi Arabia, Trump replied: “Yes, he will be involved.”
In addition, he maintained that both Putin and the Ukrainian president want to end the war.

The president said he has a “good idea” of what Putin is looking for because, as he revealed, the US special envoy for the Middle East, Steven Witkoff, one of his closest advisers, met with the Russian leader in Moscow recently for “three hours” as part of negotiations for a prisoner exchange.

“I think he wants to stop fighting. Russia has a large and powerful war machine. We must remember that they defeated Hitler and Napoleon, they have been fighting for a long time, they have done it before, but I think now he would like to stop the war,” Trump said.

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On February 12, Trump spoke by phone with Putin in what was the first public contact between the US and Russian leaders since February 2022, when the Russian leader contacted then-President Joe Biden before the invasion of Ukraine.

After that call, Trump announced that he had reached an agreement with Putin to “immediately” start negotiations with the aim of ending the war and said he could meet with the Russian leader in Saudi Arabia.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday that he was prepared to move British troops to Ukraine with the aim of contributing to security guarantees in the Eastern European country.

“The United Kingdom is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine. This includes greater support for the Ukrainian army (…) but it also means being willing to contribute to the guarantees by sending our own troops to the field if necessary,” the Labor leader said in an exclusive article in ‘The Telegraph’.

This is the first time that the British prime minister explicitly says that he is considering sending British peacekeeping forces to Ukraine, in statements that occur before attending the informal meeting with European leaders that will take place this Monday in Paris.

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International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.