The latest comments from world leaders over the war in Ukraine dominate the front pages. The Daily Telegraph carries comments from US President Donald Trump, who has criticised Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky for saying a deal between Ukraine and Russia was “very, very far away”. Trump is quoted by the paper as saying Zelensky “won’t be around very long” if he does not end the war soon, and that a peace deal “should not be that hard a deal to make”. “Your time’s almost up,” its headline reads.
The rift between the US and Ukraine has deepened as “Europe seeks ceasefire”, the Guardian reports, also carrying Trump’s response to the Ukrainian president’s comments. The paper says the comments follow a French proposal for a partial one-month truce between Russia and Ukraine. The paper also carries a photograph of several winners from Sunday’s Oscars ceremony, smiling as they hold their golden awards.
The Daily Mail says hopes for a peace deal were “on the brink” on Monday night, describing Trump’s hint that he could pull aid for Ukraine as a “fresh salvo”. It references UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s comments to MPs that he would not send British troops to keep the peace in Ukraine unless the US provides security guarantees.
“Trump lambasts Europe for showing weakness”, is the headline on the front page of the Times. UK PM Sir Keir and other European leaders have said they won’t send peacekeeping troops into Ukraine without a security guarantee from America, it says. The paper also says there are “growing fears” Trump could halt Ukraine aid after he threatened to “pull the plug”.
The UK “hunts new allies to keep Putin at bay”, proclaims the I paper. With US support “unclear”, Sir Keir is trying to produce “a viable peace plan in weeks”, it says. It also refers to the Pope’s health after he experienced two episodes of respiratory failure.
Comments from Sir Keir make the front of the Daily Express. He is quoted as saying the UK must “lead from the front” in protecting Ukraine from the Russian “menace”, with the future of the country “vital for our national security”.
The Mirror says MPs from all sides have backed Sir Keir in his support for Ukraine, calling this a “rare show of unity”. It cites Conservative MP James Cleverly as saying the Labour PM has “not put a foot wrong” in talks with European leaders over the conflict.
Europe’s biggest powers are moving towards seizing more than €200bn (£165bn) in frozen Russian assets, the Financial Times reports. It says France and Germany, “long-opposed to a full-blown seizure” of the assets held in the EU, are now discussing with the UK and other countries how they could be used. Across the pond, Donald Trump’s return to power for his second term has helped drive an upsurge in Americans applying to be UK citizens, the paper reports. It says the number rose to its highest on record last year, adding that British tax changes also contributed.
The Metro carries the story of TikTok being investigated over its use of children’s data. It also refers to a separate investigation in which the BBC was told the social media platform was profiting from sexual livestreams performed by teens as young as 15. TikTok has told the BBC its recommender systems operated under “strict and comprehensive measures that protect the privacy and safety of teens”. It also told the BBC it had “zero tolerance for exploitation”. Elsewhere on the front, beaming celebrities clutch their Oscars trophies as the paper declares: “All smiles.”
And the Daily Star warns of a “Rise of the robo lackeys”, saying people will soon “have to be paid to do nothing” while chatbots do their jobs.
The news that the United States is to pause military aid for Ukraine broke too late for the first editions of this morning’s papers, but there has been plenty of reaction on their websites.
“Trump squeezes Zelensky” is the Daily Mail’s headline. It says the US president has stunned Nato allies with his decision after “losing his patience” with the Ukrainian leader. The Daily Telegraph calls the move a “crippling blow” to Ukraine’s war effort. In its analysis, The Times declares that freezing military aid could be a “risky move” by Trump, but that he is not prepared to lose face, and wants Zelensky to apologise for the “blowout” in the Oval Office on Friday….
Looking at some of the American news websites, Politico says the suspension is designed to be a “show of force” with the aim of putting pressure on President Zelensky to return to the negotiating table. The New York Times writes that the “immediate beneficiary” is Vladimir Putin. The paper goes on to say that if the suspension is lengthy, the Russian president could “use the time to press for further territorial gains”.
Back here, the papers mark the ongoing diplomatic efforts by the UK. The Daily Express says MPs from across the political spectrum have given their backing to Sir Keir Starmer and his staunch support of Ukraine – after his recent flurry of meetings on the matter at home and abroad. The paper’s headline quotes the prime minister — who said yesterday that the UK had to “lead from the front” when it came to protecting Ukraine and standing up to Russia. The I paper reports that Britain is looking beyond Nato, at countries such as Jordan, Bahran and Saudi Arabia, to help enforce a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The Guardian reports that the government is preparing to “overhaul” special educational needs provision in schools in England, as councils raise the alarm about costs. It is understood ministers are to set out more details in the spring, with one insider telling the paper it will be a “complete recalibration”. A Department for Education spokesperson is quoted as saying the current system has long been failing to meet the needs of children and families, and they are determined to make improvements.
Comments made by the Duchess of Sussex ahead of the release of her new Netflix show have been picked up by some of the papers. The Times focuses on the Duchess saying that developing her lifestyle programme, called With Love, Meghan, allowed her to show her children the realities of being a working mum. The Telegraph reports that the Duchess has insisted she is not an “influencer” and sees herself more as a female entrepreneur.
Many of the papers look back at career of Scottish painter Jack Vettriano. His death, at the age of 73, was announced yesterday. Both the Sun and the Mirror use the phrase “people’s painter” to describe him, a nod to the fact that Jack Vettriano was often dismissed by the art world, but loved by the public. The Times says while his work was “divisive” there is no doubt that every one of his paintings “sparked a story in the mind” and that he introduced “significant numbers of people to art who would otherwise have been unlikely to venture into a gallery”.
