The United Nations Security Council last month mandated international troops to operate in Gaza through the end of 2027, but the exact role of these forces remains unclear. The U.S. convened representatives of dozens of countries in the Qatari capital this week to discuss plans for the International Stabilization Force, or ISF. It was only a planning meeting, with no countries yet formally committing troops, according to a U.S. official who spoke anonymously in order to discuss the closed-door meeting.
Donald Trump on Sunday claimed Ukraine had shown no gratitude for US efforts to end the war, as American, Ukrainian and international negotiators met in Switzerland to discuss the peace plan that would involve significant concessions to Moscow from Kyiv. Poland's president, Donald Tusk, asked where Trump's peace plan came from, after an apparent admission by the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, that the text was originally drafted by Moscow.
Kyiv authorities and European officials alike are scrambling to find responses to a 28-point peace plan put forward by the US Trump administration. While Washington has touted the plan as a "win-win" resolution of the Ukraine conflict, critics have said it is heavily skewed to meet key demands from Moscow. Both Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha say they have discussed possible next steps with their European allies.
Ceasefire to go into effect within 24 hours of Israel's cabinet ratifying the deal tonight, says Israeli government. Israel's government has confirmed signing the final draft of an agreement on phase one of a ceasefire deal with Hamas aimed at ending the Israeli war on Gaza, which has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians in two years. Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters on Thursday the signing took place earlier that morning in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh, following three days of intensive negotiations in the city.
(Sipa via AP Images) French President Emmanuel Macron warned Friday that Donald Trump would once again get played by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump gave Putin a deadline of Monday to agree to bilateral talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over ending the war between the two nations, but the Kremlin has given no indication that things are moving in that direction. Trump has threatened consequences if the meeting doesn't happen, but Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed their doubts.
At the end of the day, the final settlement will see my boss, President Trump, in the room, sealing the deal,â senior director for counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka said during an interview at Politico's Security Summit about Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
President Donald Trump announced that India and Pakistan have reached a ceasefire agreement after several tense days, highlighting the role of U.S. mediation in this achievement.
