Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni met with US president Donald Trump in the White House for talks about trade, Ukraine and a range of bilateral issues, during which she got lots of praise from Trump and invited him for a visit to Rome (18:05, 19:47, 20:32).
In his most positive comments on trade talks with the EU so far, Trump said “there will be a trade deal, 100%,” but stressed it would be “a fair deal” (19:24), and that there’s no rush (18:21).
On Ukraine, Trump sent mixed signals, saying he “wants the death, the killing to stop,” and that he was “not happy with anybody involved,” putting extra pressure on Zelenskyy by saying he’s “not a big fan” (20:14).
The US suggested the minerals deal with Ukraine is close to being signed, suggesting it could happen next Thursday (19:55, 20:20).
Elsewhere, US state secretary Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff took part in extensive talks with British, French, German, and Ukrainian officials, hosted by French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris (12:01, 12:56, 13:51, 17:05, 20:56, 21:07).
Rubio debriefed his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov after talks, telling him that Trump and the US “want this war to end,” and “peace is possible if all parties commit to reaching an agreement” (21:25).
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy accussed White House envoy Witkoff for “spreading Russian narratives,” as he warned about Russia’s increasingly closer cooperation with China (19:05) and potential mobilisation of further troops (17:58).
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
US 'want this war to end,' US Rubio tells Russia's Lavrov after Paris meetings
US state secretary Marco Rubio spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to “convey … the same message the US team communicated to the Ukrainian delegation and our European allies in Paris,” the US Department of State spokesperson said.
“President Trump and the United States want this war to end, and have now presented to all parties the outlines of a durable and lasting peace. The encouraging reception in Paris to the US framework shows that peace is possible if all parties commit to reaching an agreement,” the statement added.
Ukraine 'wants war to end as soon as possible,' foreign minister says after Paris talks
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha also offered his take on today’s talks, saying on social media that he “noted the progress in peace efforts and underscored the importance of American leadership and involvement.”
“Ukraine is committed to peace efforts and wants the war to end as soon as possible,” he stressed.
“I reiterated that Ukraine unconditionally accepted a full interim ceasefire on March 11th in Jeddah. It needs to be done as soon as possible,” he added.
'We all share ... desire for peace,' Macron says after Paris talks, with follow up expected in London next week
French president Emmanuel Macron seems to be a reader of this blog, as he called today a “diplomatic mobilisation” (I said “blitz” in the opening post at 9:45, but let’s not allow these minor differences divide us unnecessarily).
In a summary just posted on social media, he thanked all delegations for taking part in talks, and said “clearly, we all share the same desire for peace.”
“From the beginning, we have supported the President’s @realDonaldTrump proposal to end the war in Ukraine as quickly as possible,” he said.
“We engaged in a positive and constructive discussion on how to achieve both a ceasefire and a comprehensive and lasting peace,” he added.
Macron also said that he not only spoke with Zelenskyy before the talks (13:51), but also once again this evening “to coordinate” on next actions.
“Discussions will continue next week in London,” he said.
France praises 'excellent' talks with US Rubio, Witkoff in Paris
Elsewhere, we heard more about today’s meetings at the Élysée Palace in Paris.
French officials praised “excellent” talks with allies, saying they had launched “a positive process” as Kyiv’s allies seek to rekindle stalled ceasefire efforts, AFP reported.
Another meeting of envoys from the United States, France, Britain, Germany and Ukraine is to take place next week in London, they said.
Meloni on message and not in mood for taking chances - snap analysis
I thought it was a fascinating and telling moment when Meloni interrupted the interpreter, when she struggled with the Italian prime minister’s response to a particularly sensitive question about Zelenskyy and Ukraine.
Meloni clearly didn’t want to risk any inaccuracies or nervousness creeping in there, and quickly pivoted to highlight Italy’s new commitment to spending 2% of its GDP on defense – a move that shows her alignment with Trump’s demands.
Throughout the public portion of the meeting, she stuck closely to the script: praising Trump and drawing attention to the challenges shared by both administrations.
It was an impressive display of message discipline from the Italian PM, and she and her aides will be pleased with how it played out.
Updated
That concludes the press conference.
Bessent says US, Ukraine ‘still working’ out details of minerals deal signing
Responding to a question on the minerals deal and if Zelenskyy will come to the White House to sign it, Trump defers to treasury secretary Scott Bessent, who says the sides are still working details out, but it would be signed next week.
“It’s substantially what we agreed on previously with the president,” he says, saying “I think it’s an 80 page agreement and that’s what will be signed.”
Trump says he's 'not a big fan' of Zelenskyy, criticises Europe's immigration policies
Meloni just got asked in Italian about what she makes of Trump holding Zelenskyy responsible for the war in Ukraine. She offered a lengthy answer, also in Italian.
“That was so beautiful. What … what did she say?,” Trump laughed.
The interpreter then explained the question in English, and you could feel the tension in the room rising.
But as the interpreter nervously tries to relay the exchange, Meloni quickly jumps in and deflects to Italian defence spending, saying she will raise it to 2% as per Nato targets.
When she ends, Trump says that he doesn’t hold Zelenskyy responsible, “but I am not exactly thrilled with the fact that that war started,” as he talks about the scale of destruction in Ukraine.
“So I’m not happy with him, and I’m not happy with anybody involved,” he says.
He ends: “I’m not blaming him, but what I am saying is that I wouldn’t say he’s done the greatest job. I’m not a big fan.”
Another Italian reporter asks about Trump’s words describing Europe as a “parasite.” Meloni questions if he ever said that, and Trump denies it happened.
In another question on “making Europe great again,” he says:
I hope that Europe is going to be great again. Europe has gone through a lot of problems, and a lot of it’s having to do with immigration.
And I’m not a big fan of Europe and what they’ve done with immigration at all, and I think they’re going to get smart, because Europe is being very badly hurt by what they’ve done with immigration.
He praises Meloni for her immigration policy, and insists:
“Europe is very important to me. Europe is very important to the world. I want Europe to do very well. I think they have to get a lot smarter on immigration.”
Updated
There’s lots of domestic US questions being raised, which must be slightly awkward for Meloni as she listens to Trump talking about egg prices, alleged migrants from Congo, and who is fake news.
If you care about these issues in detail, you can follow our US blog here:
But I’m not giving up just yet and am still hoping they’ll eventually get back to talking about issues to do with Italy and Europe at some point – and not about “why Jimmy Carter died a happy man”.
Updated
Minerals deal to be signed next Thursday, soon, says Trump
On minerals deal, Trump says “we have a minerals deal, which I guess is going to be signed on Thursday, next Thursday, soon.”
He declines to respond to Zelenskyy’s comment on China, saying “I have no comment on that, I have no idea; that’s his statement, not mine.”
UK-France's plans for peace missions 'always good with me,' Trump says
Asked about the UK-French plans for a reassurance force – called by reporter “a peace mission” – in Ukraine, Trump says “peace missions are always good with me, I’m OK with peace missions.”
Trump expecting to hear from Russia on Ukraine this week
On Ukraine, Meloni says “we have been defending the freedom of Ukraine together,” and adds “we can build just and lasting peace.”
Trump adds saying “we are doing well,” and insists “we want to get it done” to save lives.
“We’ll see what we can do. And I think we’re getting close, but we’ll let you know very soon,” he says.
Asked about Putin’s response, he says “we’re going to be hearing from them this week, very shortly, actually.”
“We want the death, the killing to stop,” he says.
Meloni says Trump has accepted her invitation for an official trip to Rome “in the near future,” as she say it could also be an opportunity to meet with other European leaders.
“The goal for me is to make the West great again,” she says.
Trump and Meloni are now in the Oval Office.
He opens by saying Meloni “is doing a fantastic job” and “has taken Europe by storm,” and adds she “has become a friend.”
Meloni says they have lots to talk about, including on tackling irregular migration and synthetic drugs, like fentanyl, among others, but also on trade, economy, and energy, hinting at plans to increase LNG imports.
I will bring you the key lines from their chat here.
Trump says 'there will be trade deal' with EU, '100%'
Going back to Trump’s comments before his lunch with Meloni, he also appeared – for the first time – to endorse the idea of a trade deal with the EU, saying:
There will be a trade deal, 100%. … Of course there will be a trade deal, very much. They want to make one very much, and we are going to make a trade deal. I fully expect it.
But it’ll be a fair deal.
Upon Meloni’s arrival, Trump was also asked how confident he was about getting a deal with the EU, and he said he “very confident,” according to a WH video.
We should hear again from them soon, this time from the Oval Office.
Updated
Full Zelenskyy quotes on minerals deal, Patriots, Witkoff, China
Here are the quotes from Zelenskyy’s that I flagged earlier (17:58), via AFP and Reuters.
On signing a memorandum on the US-Ukraine minerals deal:
“This is a memorandum of intent. And we have positive, constructive intentions.”
On buying US Patriot systems:
“Ukraine is ready to purchase at least 10 systems. I told President Trump about this minimum during our phone conversation. He told me that America would work on it. So far, I have no other information.”
On Witkoff:
“I believe that Mr Witkoff has taken on the strategy of the Russian side. I think it is very dangerous, because he is consciously or unconsciously, I don’t know, spreading Russian narratives.”
On China:
“We have finally received information that China is supplying weapons to the Russian Federation. … We believe that Chinese representatives are engaged in the production of some weapons on Russian territory.”
'We are in no rush' on trade, Trump says before lunch with Meloni
Responding to reporters’ questions before starting his lunch with Meloni, Trump said that trade negotiations with other countries were “moving along very nicely,” but insisted the US was “in no rush” to conclude the talks.
“The United States was ripped off and taken advantage of by every country in the world, practically. I mean, I have to say practically, but just about everyone. That’s not going to happen any more, but we’re going to make fair deals,” he said.
He also said he would make “a very good deal” with China.
Trump also praised Meloni, saying she was “a great prime minister” and “doing a fantastic job in Italy.”
“We’re very proud of her. I knew her right from the beginning. I knew her as a very early prime minister, and I knew she had great talent. She’s one of the real leaders of the world. And I’m very proud to be with her,” he said.
Responding to his comments, Meloni said she was sure the EU would get a deal on tariffs, and said she would invite Trump to come to Italy.
She said she wanted to “speak frankly about the needs that every one of us has,” and “find the best way to make us both stronger.”
Trump then said “we have something that everybody wants, you know what that means, right?”
They will later continue their talks in the Oval Office, when we should hear from them again.
Giorgia Meloni arrives at White House for talks with Trump
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has just arrived at the White House, welcomed by Donald Trump by the entrance, where he appeared to say she was “a great person.”
They are going to have a lunch next, followed by a more formal bilateral meeting.
Updated
Zelenskyy says Ukraine close to signing minerals memorandum with US, but attacks Witkoff for 'spreading Russian narratives'
We are just getting reports from Reuters on some pretty significant comments from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said that Ukraine could sign the minerals deal memorandum with US online today.
Zelenskyy also warned that Russia appeared to be amassing 60,000 troops near Sumy, with offensives also in Pokrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. He also said Ukraine had evidence of China supplying Russia with artillery.
He also directly attacked US envoy Steve Witkoff – currently talking to European partners in Paris – blaming him for “spreading Russian narratives” about the war, and stressed again that Ukraine would not discuss territorial questions until ceasefire was put in place.
I will bring you more when we have it.
Rubio, Witkoff meet with European partners at Élysée
The second round of meetings at the Élysée Palace – this time with a broader group of European partners – is now under way, with US state secretary Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff talking with senior representatives of the British, French German, and Ukrainian administrations.
Pope Francis makes surprise visit to Rome prison ahead of Easter
Pope Francis, still recovering from double pneumonia, paid a surprise visit to Rome’s Regina Coeli, one of Italy’s most overcrowded prisons, to offer well-wishes to inmates ahead of Easter, Reuters reported.
The 88-year-old pontiff, gradually making more public appearances as he recovers from the biggest health crisis in his 12-year papacy, made a short foray outside of the Vatican, as the prison is only about a five-minute drive away.
Francis stayed at the prison for about half an hour. The Vatican said he met with a group of about 70 inmates. “I wanted to be close to you,” he said, according to the Vatican. “I pray for you and your families.“
US hails 'very special relationship' with Italy's Meloni as country ramps up defence spending
Speaking ahead of the Meloni-Trump meeting in Washington, expected to start around 6pm European time (5pm UK), a senior US official told reporters that the president sees the Italian leader as a valuable intermediary with Europe on trade, Nato spending and other issues.
The two leaders have “a very special relationship” and plan to work together on issues such as ending the war in Ukraine, the official told reporters in a conference call, reported by Reuters.
Speaking hours before the leaders’ meeting, Italian economy minister Giancarlo Giorgetti told a parliamentary hearing that he expected the country to meet Nato’s target of 2% of GDP on defence spending this year.
On paper, hitting the 2% goal would require about €11bn, but Italy wants to adjust its accounting criteria to align them to Nato’s rules and list as defence spending items which were previously excluded, Giorgetti said.
Reuters noted that Italy’s spending level is currently one of the lowest among the countries in the military alliance, and it is under pressure from the United States to raise its outlays.
Updated
Meloni consults with EU leaders before meeting Trump in 'difficult moment' for transatlantic relations
Giorgia Meloni will attempt to burnish her credentials as a possible bridge between the EU and the US during a high-stakes summit with Donald Trump in the White House on Thursday, the first European leader to meet the US president since he announced and then paused some of his planned trade tariff hikes.
Italy’s far-right prime minister, who has nurtured friendly relations with Trump, arrived in Washington on Wednesday night. The pair will have lunch at 12pm local time before the meeting in the Oval Office, which will be attended by a pool of White House reporters and Italian journalists.
“As you can imagine, I’m feeling no pressure at all,” Meloni joked at an event in Rome this week. “It’s a difficult moment, let’s see how the situation develops, but let’s remember that we have the strength, ability and intelligence to overcome any obstacle.”
Before leaving for Washington, Meloni discussed the summit with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. Germany’s outgoing chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and his successor, Friedrich Merz, also discussed the meeting with Meloni, according to reports in the German edition of Politico. Scholz failed to get a meeting with Trump and Merz’s request is reportedly pending.
Venice’s €5 tourist fee returns – and will double for last-minute day-trippers
Venice’s entrance fee will resume from Friday, with the main novelty this year being that last-minute day-trippers will pay double.
Last year, as part of an experiment aimed at dissuading day visitors during busy periods, Venice became the first major tourist city in the world to charge people to enter.
Although the initiative made little impact on visitor numbers, it did rake in €2.4m for the lagoon city’s coffers, much more than expected, and Venice authorities still believe it will eventually contribute to helping the Unesco world heritage city tackle overtourism.
This year’s levy, which is bookable online, remains €5, but will double if bought within three days before arrival in the city. Furthermore, it has been expanded to apply on 54 dates, mostly weekends, between 18 April and 27 July, almost double the number of days compared with last year.
Last year set a new record for visitors to Venice and its wider area, with more than 3.9 million staying overnight in the city’s historic centre. However, roughly 30 million people visit each year, the majority coming just for the day.
And sticking with Italy for a moment…
Bulgarian government survives no confidence vote
The Bulgarian government, led by Rosen Zhelyazkov, survived a vote of no confidence launched over what the opposition says was its failure to fight against widespread corruption, BTA news agency reported.
Reuters explained that the no-confidence motion, the second this month, was initiated by the populist MECh party and backed by lawmakers from the Vazrazhdane and Velichie parties. It failed to secure the necessary majority.
Russia, Belarus not invited to second world war commemoration event in Berlin
The ambassadors of Russia and Belarus will not be invited to the German parliament’s commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the second world war’s end over concerns they could “exploit” the event for anti-Ukraine propaganda.
The ceremony in the Bundestag lower house on 8 May marking the allies’ defeat of Nazi Germany will include several representatives of the diplomatic corps in Berlin but bar the envoys from Moscow and Minsk based on “the government’s assessment on the invitation of representatives”, a parliament spokesperson said.
“This assessment led to the ambassadors of the Russian Federation and Belarus, among others, not being invited.”
The embassies of Russia and Belarus did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But the Russian ambassador, Sergey Nechayev, criticised the foreign ministry’s guidance as a “bitter disappointment”, telling the newspaper Berliner Zeitung that the traditional anniversary commemorations were “part of the path to our reconciliation”, which such decisions “endanger”.
As we await further updates from the talks taking place at the Élysée, let me bring you some other stories from around Europe.
Some countries try to 'derail' Russia's relations with US, top negotiator claims
Meanwhile, Russia’s top economic negotiator claimed that some countries were trying to “derail” Moscow’s talks with the United States, as the two sides work towards normalising ties.
“There are a lot of people, structures, countries trying to disrupt our dialogue with the United States. There is a very active propaganda against Russia going on in the United States in various mass media,” Kirill Dmitriev, who is also the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, told reporters, AFP said.
French president Macron meets with Rubio, Witkoff at Élysée
French president Emmanuel Macron has just formally welcomed Rubio and Witkoff, accompanied by France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
Their meeting is about to get under way, and the French presidency said that Macron spoke with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy just before meeting the US delegation.
Updated
Paris talks with allies focused on 'paths to fair and lasting peace', Ukraine's foreign minister says
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has just posted on update on his separate talks with British, French and German partners at the Élysée earlier today.
He said they “discussed the paths to a fair and lasting peace, including full ceasefire, multinational contingent, and security guarantees for Ukraine.”
Élysée meetings in Paris get under way
First meetings of the day are now under way, with White House envoy Steve Witkoff meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic adviser Emmanuel Bonne at the Élysée.
Updated
Russia blames Europe for continuing war in Ukraine
And we have just heard from Moscow, with the Kremlin welcoming today’s meeting in Paris as a chance for Witkoff to update Europeans on his long conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin last week.
“The United States is continuing to work in this direction with the Europeans and with the Ukrainians,” Peskov said.
“Unfortunately, from the Europeans we see a focus on continuing the war,” he said, as reported by Reuters.
Updated
'We must put pressure on killers,' Zelenskyy urges partners
Setting the scene for today’s meetings in Paris, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged partners to “put pressure on the killers” after another Russian attacks on Dnipro, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv and Donetsk overnight, which left three people dead, and 28 injured.
In a post on Telegram, he said that every defence package for Ukraine is “literally protecting lives,” as “Russia uses every day and every night to kill.”
“We must put pressure on the killers and help life in order to end this war and guarantee a reliable peace,” he said.
“I want to thank all the partners who are using their capabilities in this way. Wars are stopped by force – [the use of] force against the aggressor … in defence of life,” he said.
Updated
'Drug-dealing scum' most likely behind French prison attacks, French minister says
Drug-traffickers were most likely behind an unprecedented wave of attacks against French prisons though foreign influence and the far-left remain possible instigators, French interior minister Bruno Retailleau said.
“It’s most likely drug-dealing scum. It is one of the most credible scenarios,” Retailleau told RTL radio, Reuters reported.
The news agency reported that at least nine prison facilities and affiliated institutions have been targeted with nightly arson and other attacks this week and a car was set alight at the home of a prison guard.
Former UK minister says he is 'disgusted' by Trump's 'weasel language' on Russia
Pronouncing himself “disgusted” by Donald Trump’s favorable attitude to Russia and Vladimir Putin, the former UK defence minister Grant Shapps said the US president calling a Russian missile strike that killed dozens in Ukraine last weekend a “mistake” was an example of “weasel language we used to hear … from the IRA” terrorist group.
“All anybody needs Putin to do is get the hell out of a democratic neighboring country,” Shapps told the One Decision podcast, regarding attempts to end the war in Ukraine that has raged since Russia invaded in February 2022.
“And I just have to [put] this on record: it disgusts me, I feel disgusted [by] the idea that the leader of the free world cannot tell the difference between the dictator who locks up and murders his opponents and invades innocent democratic countries and the country itself that has been invaded.
“This lack of moral clarity is completely demoralizing for the rest of the democratic world.”
Full story:
Morning opening: Diplomatic blitz
Easter is just round the corner, but in a last push before the break there is a lot of high-stake diplomacy planned for today.
US state secretary Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff are in Paris this morning for meetings with European partners on Ukraine, Middle East, and other foreign and trade policy issues.
The pair is expected to meet the French president, Emmanuel Macron, but also three EU foreign ministers: Britain’s David Lammy, France’s Jean-Noël Barrot, Germany’s Annalena Baerbock.
A Ukrainian delegation is also in town, led by top Zelenskyy’s aide Andriy Yermak and accompanied by foreign minister Andriy Sybiga and defence minister Rustem Umerov.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni went the other way, as she is in Washington DC to meet with US president Donald Trump later today.
French defence minister Sébastien Lecornu is also stateside, with a planned meeting with US defence secretary Pete Hegseth.
It is not clear what, if anything, of what they discuss will be made public – but you can be sure that you will find all the updates we can get for you here.
It’s Thursday, 17 April 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
