**US President Trump Criticizes Macron and Starmer Over Ukraine**
US President Donald Trump has spoken out against French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying they haven’t done enough to end the war in Ukraine. This comes ahead of their visits to the White House next week.
Trump also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he “has no cards” in peace negotiations. He added that Zelensky is not important in meetings and that Russia could have been talked out of invading Ukraine.
**European Leaders Meet on Ukraine**
Macron and Starmer are expected to visit the White House next week, despite Trump’s criticism. Earlier this week, Starmer said he was ready to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine as part of a peace deal. European leaders have ruled out negotiating with Russia but have met regularly to discuss the war.
**Sanctions on Russia**
The US, UK, and EU have imposed over 20,000 sanctions on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine. Many European nations have also signed agreements to support and provide aid to Ukraine.
**Trump’s Comments Spark Backlash**
Trump’s comments sparked backlash from his own Vice-President, JD Vance, who said that negotiating with Russia was not appeasement if the Ukrainians did not have a credible pathway to victory. Ukraine has put forward changes to a proposed deal on rare earth minerals, which Trump wants in exchange for US support.
**Ukraine Open to Negotiations**
Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior aide to Zelensky, told BBC News that Ukraine is open to striking a deal and cooperating with the US. The US is pressing Ukraine to sign an agreement on rare earth minerals, which would give the US rights to these resources in Ukraine.
Read More @ www.bbc.com
