-
Barca suffer morale blow in Dortmund amid quadruple hunt
-
China tells Trump to 'stop threatening and blackmailing'
-
Iran FM says uranium enrichment 'non-negotiable' after Trump envoy urged halt
-
Automakers hold their breath on Trump's erratic US tariffs
-
Cycling fan admits throwing bottle at Van der Poel was 'stupid'
-
Troubled Red Bull search for path back to fast lane
-
China's forecast-beating growth belies storm clouds ahead: analysts
-
ASML CEO sees growing economic 'uncertainty' from tariffs
-
Heineken beer sales dip, tariffs add to uncertainty
-
Rehab centre for Russian veterans from Ukraine fills up
-
Dutch flower industry grasps thorny pesticide issue
-
Solar boom counters power shortages in Niger
-
Malnourished children in Afghanistan at 'high risk of dying' without US aid
-
Skating comeback queen Liu says she can get even better for Olympics
-
'Let's rock': world music icon Youssou N'Dour back on the road
-
Mackerel and missiles: EU-UK defence deal snags on fish
-
Istanbul's Hagia Sophia prepares for next big quake
-
'Magician' Chahal casts spell with IPL heroics
-
WHO countries strike landmark agreement on tackling future pandemics
-
Kerr salutes Harvard defiance over Trump after Warriors win
-
Canada party leaders hold high-stakes debate two weeks from vote
-
As war grinds on, Ukraine's seniors suffer
-
ASML CEO sees 'increased macro uncertainty' from tariffs
-
Pope leaves faithful guessing over Easter appearances
-
Butler, 'Batman' Curry shine as Warriors down Grizzlies to reach playoffs
-
Skating 'Quad God' Malinin ready for Olympic favourite tag
-
Toppmoeller has ascendant Frankfurt challenging their limits
-
Cambodia's Chinese casino city bets big on Beijing
-
Vespa love affair: Indonesians turn vintage scooters electric
-
Europe seeks to break its US tech addiction
-
Long-abandoned Welsh mine revived as gold prices soar
-
UK's top court to rule on how to define a 'woman'
-
WHO countries reach landmark agreement on tackling future pandemics
-
Stocks struggle again as Nvidia chip curb warning pops calm
-
China's economy beats forecasts ahead of Trump's 'Liberation Day'
-
China's economy beat forecasts in first quarter ahead of Trump's 'Liberation Day'
-
Trump orders critical minerals probe that may bring new tariffs
-
Onana faces date with destiny as Man Utd chase Lyon win
-
Lessons in horror with Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal
-
Pandemic agreement: key points
-
Paramilitaries declare rival government as Sudan war hits two-year mark
-
Landmark agreement reached at WHO over tackling future pandemics
-
'La bolita,' Cuban lottery offering hope in tough times
-
'Toxic beauty': Rise of 'looksmaxxing' influencers
-
Facebook added 'value' to Instagram, Zuckerberg tells antitrust trial
-
Vision Marine and STERK Achieve Internal Hull Optimization for E-Motion(TM) Electric Propulsion Integration
-
Beyond Creatinine: First Real-World Evidence Highlights Proenkephalin A 119–159 (penKid) as a Valuable Kidney Function Biomarker
-
Helium One Global Ltd Announces Jackson-27 Spud at Galactica Project
-
Tocvan Core Drilling Extends Main Zone, 70 meters South Returns 7.2 g/t Gold and 80 g/t Silver Over 2.6 meters within 46.9 meters of 0.5 g/t Gold
-
Supplement Manufacturing Partner, Inc. Issues Recall on Dorado Nutrition Brand Spermidine Supplement 10mg Vegetable Capsules (Spermidine 3HCL) Due To Undeclared Wheat Allergen
Trump, Putin and the question: What now?
US President Donald Trump's (78) hopes for a quick diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict were sorely tried again yesterday. After a two-hour phone call with Russian dictator and war criminal Vladimir Putin (72), there is still no breakthrough in sight. Putin firmly rejected a proposal for a 30-day general ceasefire supported by Trump and stuck to his maximum demands, as Russian and American sources agree.
Trump, who has repeatedly promised to quickly end the war in Ukraine since taking office on 20 January 2025, has been counting on direct talks with Putin to make progress. He spoke to the Kremlin chief as early as Tuesday 18 March, after his vassal and ‘special envoy’ Steve Witkoff was in Moscow the previous week. The aim was to agree to a ceasefire, which had been accepted by Ukraine in previous talks with the US in Saudi Arabia. But Putin remains intransigent: a general ceasefire will only come into question if the US and its partners cease military and intelligence support for Ukraine – a demand that is unacceptable to Washington.
Instead, both sides merely agreed to a limited 30-day ceasefire in attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which is to take effect immediately. This was confirmed by both the White House and the Kremlin. However, experts view this as minimal progress. ‘It's not a real breakthrough,’ said Nicole Deitelhoff of the Leibniz Institute for Peace and Conflict Research, commenting on the results. Putin has hardly budged and is clearly showing that he will not be put under pressure – either by Trump or by other actors.
Ukraine itself is being left out of the negotiations, which is causing concern in Kiev and European capitals. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously emphasised that any solution without Ukrainian participation sends a ‘dangerous signal’ to authoritarian regimes worldwide. European politicians such as German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot reiterated their demand that decisions about Ukraine must not be made over the country's head. ‘There can be no decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine,’ Baerbock said on the sidelines of talks in Paris.
While Trump spoke of ‘progress’ after the phone call, Putin's attitude shows that Russia does not want to give up its position of strength. In June 2024, the nefarious Kremlin leader had already made it clear that he sees the recognition of the Ukrainian territories annexed in 2014 and 2023, a demilitarisation of Ukraine and the end of Western sanctions as prerequisites for peace. He maintained this line in his conversation with Trump.
Reactions in Ukraine have been muted. Journalists report concerns that a forced peace could give Russia time to recover militarily, only to reignite the conflict later. In Europe, outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) warned against a ‘dictated peace’ that would weaken Ukraine. ‘Ukraine must retain a strong army even after a peace agreement,’ he emphasised.
For Trump, who had claimed during the election campaign that he could end the war ‘within 24 hours’, reality is increasingly becoming a challenge. Putin's uncompromising stance is undermining the US president's plans and raising the question of how long Washington can maintain its patience with Moscow. The coming weeks will show whether Trump will adjust his strategy – or whether the conflict will remain in limbo.

We thank the Heroes of Ukraine!

Arab League reinstates Syrian membership after a 12-years

Turkey's President Erdogan shows he is ready for a fight

Россия - это государство без будущего!

Три тупые свиньи: Пригожин, Шойгу и Путин!

Perverted Russian gets a bashing as flag thief

Россия: Кто придет после преступника Путина?

Thank you Ukraine for the destruction of the Russian terror soldiers!

У российского террористического государства мало боеприпасов

Скоро дроны ВСУ долетят даже до кабинета Путина!

Ukraine: This is how Russian terror soldiers end up!
