White House calls South Korea's vote fair but warns of Chinese influence
The White House congratulated South Korea on a fair election but voiced concern over potential Chinese influence as liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung assumes the presidency.
Washington, D.C., February 24, 2025 – French President Emmanuel Macron arrived at the White House on Monday to engage in high-level discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump over the prospects for ending the Ukraine conflict
The meeting comes amid stark differences over the path forward and is expected to cover issues such as the timing of any ceasefire agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, ensuring continued European involvement, and potential military guarantees for Ukraine.
Macron is the first European leader to visit Trump since the U.S. president regained power a month ago. The leaders are set to participate in a G7 call, conduct bilateral talks, and later hold a joint press conference at 2 p.m. EST. In a parallel effort, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is scheduled to visit Trump later this week, reflecting growing alarm in Europe over Trump’s hardening stance on Ukraine and his recent overtures to Moscow regarding the three-year conflict.
Amid these discussions, Trump and his team have been negotiating a revenue-sharing arrangement with Ukraine aimed at recouping some of the funds previously sent by the Biden administration in the form of wartime aid. Over the weekend, Trump expressed optimism that an agreement would be reached soon.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy recently rejected U.S. demands for $500 billion in mineral wealth from Ukraine as repayment for wartime assistance, noting that the United States had supplied far less and had offered no specific security guarantees in return.
Drawing on his longstanding relationship with Trump from their earlier presidential terms, Macron warned that any agreement that compromised Ukraine’s position would signal weakness. “I will tell him: deep down you cannot be weak in the face of President Putin. It’s not you, it’s not what you’re made of, and it’s not in your interests,” he said during an hour-long question-and-answer session on social media ahead of his visit.
As world leaders continue to navigate complex geopolitical challenges, Monday’s talks are seen as a critical moment in shaping the future trajectory of the Ukraine conflict and broader international security.
A bridge collapse in the Vygonichsky district of Russia’s Bryansk region, near the Ukrainian border, caused a train derailment and a traffic accident early Sunday, killing at least seven people and leaving 30 injured, according to emergency services.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has confirmed it carried out a third targeted attack against the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, early Tuesday morning, marking a new escalation in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture early Monday, causing no reported injuries or damage, and no tsunami warning was issued, officials confirmed.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to speak this week to discuss recent trade tensions, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended abruptly in Istanbul on Monday, lasting just over an hour amid mounting tensions following a major Ukrainian drone strike on Russian strategic bombers and renewed pressure from the U.S. for a breakthrough.
Russia carried out a large-scale air attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv overnight and into Saturday evening, killing at least four people and injuring more than 60 others, including a baby, according to local officials.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will visit the UK from June 8–13 for the first round of China-U.S. economic and trade consultations. Talks will include U.S. Treasury and Commerce Secretaries and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that there could be “serious consequences” if Elon Musk provides financial support to Democratic candidates challenging Republicans who back Trump’s tax-cut bill, signalling a sharp turn in their previously cordial relationship.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei met Pope Leo at the Vatican, confirming the pontiff’s upcoming visit to Argentina.
Negotiations between China and the European Union regarding electric vehicle price commitments are in their final stages, although both sides acknowledge that further efforts are required to reach a resolution.
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