"Nothing will be the same": Ukrainian society is scarred by the three-year-long war, reads the headline of the French magazine "Poin" on the third anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion.
On the third anniversary of the war, the UN General Assembly is expected to vote on rival resolutions submitted by the US and Ukraine. The countries are ready to vote on a request to withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine. But the US wants a softer approach, notes the British newspaper "Independent".
The European-backed proposal by Ukraine calls for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from the country. The document submitted by Washington also calls for a quick end to the war, but it does not mention Moscow's aggression. The newspaper said the US had pressured the Ukrainians to withdraw their non-binding resolution in favour of their proposal, but Kiev refused and it will now be put to a vote in the 193-member assembly.
It is a demonstration of the tensions that have arisen between the US and Ukraine after President Donald Trump suddenly began talks with Russia in an attempt to quickly resolve the conflict. It also highlights the tensions in the transatlantic alliance over the Trump administration's unusual reversal of engagement with Moscow, the British publication notes.
The US proposal will also be voted on today in the more influential UN Security Council. But the 15-member Security Council, which is tasked with maintaining international peace and security, is paralyzed by Russia's veto, the Independent reminds. There is no veto in the General Assembly and it is almost certain that the resolution on Ukraine, supported by all 27 members of the European Union, will be adopted. But although it is a barometer of world opinion, resolutions adopted in the General Assembly are not legally binding, unlike those adopted by the Security Council.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the agreement with the United States on rare earth elements and announced a European summit, the "New York Times" reports.
He added that he was ready to leave his post if it would lead to peace or Ukraine's admission to NATO. However, it was not clear whether he was serious, the American publication notes.
"I do not intend to stay in power for decades. But we will not allow Putin to stay in power in Ukrainian territories," Zelensky said, quoted by the British newspaper. "Guardian". But he stressed that he would not sign "something that 10 generations of Ukrainians will pay for".
The Ukrainian president recalled that the US military aid was provided as a "grant", not a loan, but stressed that he wanted his American counterpart Donald Trump to be on Kiev's side. The US military contribution was 100 billion, five times less than Trump's claims, Zelensky added.
He noted that the signing of any agreement depended on whether the US administration would provide security guarantees to prevent Russian violations of a future ceasefire - something that Washington has so far refused to do, the "Guardian" emphasizes.
The Ukrainian president also revealed the tough financial conditions that Washington is trying to impose. For every $1 of future military aid, Kiev must return $2 - an interest rate of 100%, as noted by Zelensky, who indicated that he demanded an explanation why similar conditions do not apply to Israel, the UAE, Qatar or Saudi Arabia.
"Ukraine - another victim of Donald Trump's greed", reads the headline of the French newspaper "Libération".
Three years after the start of the Russian invasion, the American president hopes to use threats to seize the country's land and resources, starting with its mineral wealth. Otherwise, he threatens it with a failed peace agreement, the French publication warns.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron will coordinate their efforts to influence Trump regarding Ukraine, the British newspaper notes. "Times".
They will meet him separately during the week.
Macron's meeting with the Republican politician, whose statements increasingly echo those of Moscow, is scheduled for today, and Starmer's for Thursday, but they have a common goal: to bring the Europeans back into the diplomatic game, which began with the sudden rapprochement between Washington and the Kremlin, which until now have quickly excluded them from discussions on ending the war, notes the French newspaper "Monde".
The French president is expected to present to Trump today a proposal to deploy troops in Ukraine to guarantee compliance with a possible ceasefire.
However, this plan assumes support from the United States, emphasizes the newspaper "Monde".