Morning Briefing: Aug. 19, 2025

ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Tuesday, including the latest on a meeting between US Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders, NATO chief saying several countries working on security guarantees for Ukraine, and Hamas accepting latest Egyptian-Qatari proposal for Gaza ceasefire.

TOP STORIES

• Trump working on Putin-Zelenskyy sit-down

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he is working to arrange a sit-down with the presidents of Ukraine and Russia after hours-long talks at the White House with European leaders.

Trump said the meetings were "very good" and addressed security guarantees for Ukraine, including which commitments "would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America."

"Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine. At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President (Vladimir) Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy," he said on the American social media platform Truth Social.

• NATO chief says 30 countries working on security guarantees for Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that 30 countries are working on a framework of security guarantees for Ukraine, stressing that the US is now prepared to join the initiative.

Speaking to FOX News after talks at the White House with US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders, Rutte described the discussions as “very successful” and said the countries are focused on security guarantees that could take effect after a ceasefire or, preferably, a full peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

“So over the last couple of months, under the leadership of Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, and Emmanuel Macron, the French president, a group of now 30 countries, including Japan and Australia, are working on this concept of security guarantees,” said Rutte.

• Hamas says it accepts Egyptian-Qatari proposal for Gaza ceasefire

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas said Monday that it has accepted a proposal by Egyptian and Qatari mediators for a Gaza ceasefire.

In a brief statement, Hamas said it informed the mediators of its approval of the plan, without providing details about the proposal’s content.

Egyptian media earlier said that the proposal calls for Israeli forces to reposition themselves near the border to facilitate humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

It also includes a temporary halt to military operations for two months, during which a prisoner-hostage exchange would take place, the state-run Al-Qahera News channel said, citing Egyptian sources.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he is open to holding a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss an end to the war before moving to a trilateral format that could involve the US and European leaders.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington is coordinating with European and non-European countries to build security guarantees for Ukraine.
• US President Donald Trump informed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin about his latest talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, the Kremlin said.
• Ukraine has offered to buy $100 billion worth of American weapons financed by Europe as part of a proposal aimed at securing US guarantees for its security after a future peace settlement with Russia, the Financial Times reported Monday, citing a document shared with allies.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv is ready to hold elections once “safety is guaranteed” and stressed that military backing and security guarantees from the US are crucial for a peace deal with Russia.
• Burkina Faso declared UN Resident Coordinator Carol Flore-Smereczniak persona non grata over her role in co-chairing the preparation of a report alleging child rights abuses by the country’s security forces.
• French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz backed calls for an urgent ceasefire in Ukraine, stressing that future trilateral talks between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv must produce tangible steps to stop the bloodshed.
• Israeli forces detained Palestinian Culture Minister Imad Hamdan and members of his delegation during a visit to Kafr Ni’ma, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, local media reported.
• A Bosnia and Herzegovina court rejected as unfounded an appeal filed by the Republika Srpska president against the Central Election Commission’s decision to revoke his mandate.
• China said it was “glad” to see the US and Russia improve bilateral ties after Putin and Trump met in Alaska.
• South Korea’s Marine Corps will take part for the first time in an annual multinational military exercise that will be held in Indonesia, local media reported.
• Israel is reviewing Hamas’ response to a ceasefire and prisoner exchange proposal put forward by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, Israeli media reported.
• The US has revoked more than 6,000 student visas so far this year due to overstays and various violations of the law.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Air Canada flight attendants defy government’s order to return to work

Some 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants decided Monday to spurn a back-to-work order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), with their union’s leader vowing to go to jail if necessary.

The board has declared the strike illegal, with Air Canada saying that 700 flights a day are being cancelled, impacting approximately 500,000 customers.

The CIRB ordered the flight attendants to immediately return to work. The directive was met with defiance, despite the threat of significant penalties such as fines and jail.

• Norway's wealth fund to remove 6 more Israeli firms from portfolio

Citing the “extraordinary” circumstances in Gaza and the West Bank, the wealth management fund run by Norway’s central bank has decided to exclude six more Israeli firms from its portfolio, it announced Monday.

The $2.2 trillion Norges Bank Investment Management fund – the world's largest wealth management fund – had already excluded 17 Israeli firms, with a total value of $143.3 million, from its portfolio, which is worth some $2.24 billion, according to recent figures.

The fund has now decided to exclude six additional companies, all with connections to the West Bank and Gaza. The names of these companies will be published once the divestment is completed, the bank said.