Key Highlights
- Key US politics stories from 16 February at a glanceDonald Trump has piled pressure on Ukraine to reach a deal with Russia “fast” before US-brokered talks in Geneva on Tuesday.
- “Ukraine better come to the table, fast,” the US president told reporters onboard Air Force One while en route to Washington. Trump is pushing to end the conflict, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but two previous rounds of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi did not yield any signs of a breakthrough. Moscow has stuck to its demands in the talks for sweeping territorial and political concessions from Ukraine – rejected by Kyiv as tantamount to capitulation. Trump’s top envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner will be in the US delegation, while the former Russian culture minister Vladimir Medinsky will lead Moscow’s team. Ukraine and Russia to meet for second round of talks as war's fourth anniversary approachesThe talks, brokered by the Trump administration, will take place days before the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
- Despite renewed US efforts to revive diplomacy, hopes for any sudden breakthrough remain low. Trump, who throughout his second presidency has veered between criticising Moscow and Kyiv, reverted this weekend to placing blame on Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggesting Ukraine was holding up efforts to end the war. Read the full storyCalifornia governor ‘a loser’, says Trump as state signs green energy deal with UKDonald Trump has vented his fury against a green energy deal between the British government and California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, a likely future Democratic presidential candidate.“The UK’s got enough trouble without getting involved with Gavin Newscum,” Trump said in an interview with Politico, using the derogatory nickname he reserves for Newsom.
- “Gavin is a loser.
- Everything he’s touched turns to garbage.
