Tuesday Briefing: Crucial talks on Ukraine
Good morning. We're covering a critical day of talks on Ukraine and a new Gaza cease-fire proposal. Plus, China's robot games.
Will there be a peace deal for Ukraine?President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and seven European leaders met with President Trump at the White House yesterday for crucial talks on ending the war in Ukraine. Trump said he would call President Vladimir Putin of Russia following the White House talks to discuss whether to hold a U.S.-Russia-Ukraine meeting that could lead to a peace deal. Follow the latest updates. Inside the Oval Office, Zelensky and Trump showed few signs of their once-frayed relationship. They talked positively about a U.S. role in security guarantees for Ukraine — one of the most complex issues under discussion — to ensure that Russia does not restart the war after they agree to a peace deal. Here's a look at the key issues that came up: Security guarantees: Trump said that the U.S. would give Ukraine "very good protection and very good security," but he did not provide specifics. He noted that the U.S. would help in some way and did not rule out involving American troops. Asked what kind of security guarantees Ukraine wanted, Zelensky said: "Everything." Land swaps: After his meeting with Putin in Alaska last week, Trump appeared to support land swaps as part of a peace deal. Trump said yesterday that the leaders would discuss "the possible exchanges of territory" and take into consideration the current "war lines." In his remarks, Zelensky told Trump, "Thank you for the map, by the way," an indication that the land swap issues were debated in detail. Trilateral meeting: Zelensky has repeatedly expressed his desire for a meeting with Trump and Putin, but the Kremlin has not agreed to one. "If everything works out today, we will have a trilat, and I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war if we do that," Trump said. Takeaway: "Significantly, the two most contentious issues — a possible cease-fire and territorial concessions — were left unresolved," my colleague Michael Schwirtz, who covers Russia, Ukraine and global security, told me. "Both Trump and Zelensky suggested that discussions of a possible cease-fire, along with negotiations over territory, should be conducted in the as-yet hypothetical face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Putin, possibly with Trump in attendance. Trump, backed by Zelensky, has said he would like such a meeting to come together quickly. The Kremlin, however, has been silent on the issue." "At the end of the day, the talks in Washington as well as in Alaska appeared to have offered a chance for all sides to air their grievances and state their positions," Michael added. "But no side specified what concessions, if any, they would be willing to make — at least publicly." Attacks: Hours before Zelensky's visit began, Russian strikes killed at least 14 people in Ukraine.
Hamas agreed to a new cease-fire proposalHamas has accepted a new cease-fire proposal for Gaza that would see the release of some Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, officials said yesterday. It was unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel would agree to the terms. The proposal was presented by Qatar and Egypt, the regional mediators, during talks on Sunday, according to a statement from Hamas. Qatar and Egypt have intensified their mediation efforts ahead of a possible Israeli ground operation into Gaza City. An Israeli official said yesterday that the country had not received the details of the proposal. Israel has agreed to similar terms in the past, but last week Netanyahu suggested that Israel was no longer interested in a deal that would release only some of the hostages. Israel: A mass rally in Tel Aviv over the week showed growing discontent among Israelis with Netanyahu and the war in Gaza.
Athletes at a competition in Beijing over the weekend struggled to hit their kickboxing opponents, land their gymnastics maneuvers or even run down a soccer field without toppling all over each other. But to many in the audience at the Humanoid Robot Games, the competitors revealed possibilities as well as limitations. The robots served as a showcase for China's efforts to make rapid advancements in robotics. Watch a video of the robots in action. Lives lived: Terence Stamp, the magnetic British actor who starred in "Billy Budd" and played an interplanetary tyrant in "Superman," died at 87.
How to get laughs from Trump and GazaPeople don't usually go to comedy shows for political enlightenment. But at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, some comics are effectively weaving Trump, Gaza and culture wars into personal stories. The punchlines hit because they're human first, political second. Rosie O'Donnell brushed past Trump to talk about emigrating to Dublin for her autistic, nonbinary child. Michelle Wolf joked about gender politics by talking about pockets in women's clothing. And Sami Abu Wardeh kept it playful, invoking the horrors of the war in Gaza, just once, in a plangent aside. Read more.
Cook: This easy, meatless meal features orzo, spinach, peas and scallions. Watch: Spike Lee's "Highest 2 Lowest" tackles subjects like money, conscience, accountability and what it means to be good and just. Read: "Departure 37" is one of three new thrillers with twists you won't see coming. Travel: An outlandish heat grips Death Valley national park in the summer. People come anyway. Listen: Meg Duffy finds a new voice in "Blue Reminder" from the band Hand Habits.
That's it for today. See you tomorrow. — Dan Parin Behrooz contributed to this newsletter. We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.
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