Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni met with US president Donald Trump in the White House for talks about trade, Ukraine and a range of bilateral issues, during which she got lots of praise from Trump and invited him for a visit to Rome (18:05, 19:47, 20:32).
In his most positive comments on trade talks with the EU so far, Trump said “there will be a trade deal, 100%,” but stressed it would be “a fair deal” (19:24), and that there’s no rush (18:21).
On Ukraine, Trump sent mixed signals, saying he “wants the death, the killing to stop,” and that he was “not happy with anybody involved,” putting extra pressure on Zelenskyy by saying he’s “not a big fan” (20:14).
The US suggested the minerals deal with Ukraine is close to being signed, suggesting it could happen next Thursday (19:55, 20:20).
Elsewhere, US state secretary Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff took part in extensive talks with British, French, German, and Ukrainian officials, hosted by French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris (12:01, 12:56, 13:51, 17:05, 20:56, 21:07).
Rubio debriefed his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov after talks, telling him that Trump and the US “want this war to end,” and “peace is possible if all parties commit to reaching an agreement” (21:25).
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy accussed White House envoy Witkoff for “spreading Russian narratives,” as he warned about Russia’s increasingly closer cooperation with China (19:05) and potential mobilisation of further troops (17:58).
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at [email protected].
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
US 'want this war to end,' US Rubio tells Russia's Lavrov after Paris meetings
US state secretary Marco Rubio spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to “convey … the same message the US team communicated to the Ukrainian delegation and our European allies in Paris,” the US Department of State spokesperson said.
“President Trump and the United States want this war to end, and have now presented to all parties the outlines of a durable and lasting peace. The encouraging reception in Paris to the US framework shows that peace is possible if all parties commit to reaching an agreement,” the statement added.
