Trump seeks peace between Ukraine and Russia - again
US President Donald Trump will speak Monday at 10 am EST to Russian President Vladimir Putinto discuss “STOPPING THE 'BLOODBATH'” in Russia’s war with Ukraine, as well as “trade.” After that call, Trump will speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in the hopes of brokering a 30-day ceasefire.
But is a deal DOA? Ukrainian sources claim that Moscow insists that Ukrainian troops first withdraw from the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, which doesn’t align with Washington’s proposal. Moscow hasn’t commented, but such demands could torpedo a truce before it begins.
A new eastern axis: Pakistan, China…. and Afghanistan?
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and deputy Prime Minister, Ishaq Dar, is in Beijing Mondayto meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi "on the evolving regional situation in South Asia and its implications for peace and stability.” The meeting follows April’s violent conflict between Pakistan and India which saw Islamabaddeploy Chinese weapons.
Is Kabul now in play? While in China, Dar is reportedly also holdingtrilateral talks with Afghanistan to discuss "enhanced security cooperation". The three countries all border India, and an alliance could threaten that country’s territorial integrity in the north.Pakistan further claims that its ceasefire with India expired Sunday, raising the possibility of renewed hostilities.Romania, Poland and Portugal go to the polls
A centrist takes the crown in Romania, the right makes gains in Portugal, and a run-off awaits in Poland.
In Romania, the centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan, bested hard-right election front-runner George Simion 55% to 45% according to exit polls. The resultswon’t please the White House, which had plumped for Simion, but will cheer the EU, NATO, and Ukraine, which Romania has supported in its war with Russia.
In Portugal, the centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) has won between 29.1% and 35.1% of the vote, while the opposition Socialist Party (PS) scored between 19.4% and 25.4% and the hard-right party Chega is polling between 19.5% and 25.5%.If the results hold, Chega could replace the Socialist Party as the main opposition party for the first time in its history.
In Poland,exit polls show liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski and conservative historian, Karol Nawrocki, neck and neck in the presidential election with an estimated 30.8% and 29.1% of the votes, respectively. Trzaskowski would help Prime Minister Donald Tusk reform laws enacted by the former governing party, Law and Justice, while Nawrocki would align with the far right. The two men will face off June 1.
