James Waterhouse
@jameswaterhouse.bsky.social
6K followers 220 following 130 posts
BBC Ukraine Correspondent | used to play rugby
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Usually the French President has a Prime Minister to help them govern, but after five in two years, @EmmanuelMacron is today hosting all party leaders at the Elysee Palace.

One paper has called it a “poker play” for a compromise, but will they want to?
Reposted by James Waterhouse
Just the 70 Russian drones still airborne this Sunday morning. Another restless night for Ukrainian cities. Thankfully no deaths reported this time.
Ukraine’s wartime leader wants to remain just that: telling Axios he’d be willing to hold elections during a ceasefire, and that he wouldn’t seek re-election.
Zelensky warns of a widening war as Trump changes his tone, but not his actions.
At the UN 🇺🇳 Trump was unequivocal on NATO shooting down encroaching Russian jets, but vague on US back up.

He’d also “know in a month” whether he trusts Putin.

Their relationship is a world away from February, but Zelensky palpably wants him to get tougher with Moscow.
How do you deal with Russian fighter jets flying into NATO airspace? “Shoot them down” says Czech President Petr Pavel.

Turkey did just that in 2015, and it didn’t happen again.

Only now Europe doesn’t want to find itself in confrontation with Russia, without an ambiguous US.
Trump: “I thought it would have been easiest war to solve but President Putin has let me down, he’s really let me down”
What is the “coalition of the willing” willing to do?

26/35 to supply troops after a Ukraine ceasefire (not 🇵🇱 or 🇮🇹)

Tougher sanctions if 🇷🇺 doesn’t negotiate

🇪🇺membership for Ukraine

What 🇺🇸 is prepared to contribute will determine whether peace is remotely possible.
After years of being separated by a border and awful war, today I finally met @bbcstever.bsky.social It was worth the wait.
President Zelensky makes it to the meeting stage this time.
The Oval Office: take 2

Will the awaiting European leaders be welcome additions? Or much-needed back up?
Bypassing a ceasefire is a blow to Europe. Continued fighting suits Russia and not Ukraine.

But Trump reportedly raised Ukraine security guarantees “inspired by NATO’s article 5”

If Russia keeps the land it’s taken, the whole weight of the West could prevent more being lost.
Territory?

Security guarantees?

“Opportunities”?

A #Ukrainecast Q & A on what might be discussed between Trump & Putin.

With Jamie Coomarasamy, Olga Robinson, RUSI’s Matthew Savill & me.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Ukrainecast - Q&A: The Trump-Putin Alaska Preview - BBC Sounds
Your questions answered ahead of crucial US-Russia summit
www.bbc.co.uk
As things stand, Trump will meet Putin to discuss, in part, the trading of Ukrainian territory for Ukrainian territory.

Zelensky will be involved, just not yet says Washington.

Its previously said Europe won’t be part of the talks at all.
A privilege to be invited to Harlequins to discuss resilience with the men’s squad. And for letting me to slip in this Darwin quote:

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”
Could Trump's ceasefire deadline be near?

"India isn’t only buying Russian Oil, they’re selling it," he claims.

"They don’t care how many Ukrainians are killed by the Russian war machine. I will be substantially raising the Tariff they pay the US.”

🇮🇳 calls it "unjustified"
Ukraine’s parliament has decisively passed a law that puts the country’s two independent anti-corruption bodies under direct government oversight.

Zelensky says it’s to rid them of Russian influence, but there’ve been demonstrations across different cities, and the EU is not impressed.