World
Polish prime minister hopes for peace in Ukraine within weeks
Tusk also hinted at the possibility of U.S. troops being sent to the line of contact between Ukraine and Russia, but he gave no details of such a proposal and the White House did not immediately comment on his remarks.
Peace could be achieved in Ukraine within weeks thanks to U.S. security guarantees although success is still “far from 100% certain”, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.
Tusk also hinted at the possibility of U.S. troops being sent to the line of contact between Ukraine and Russia, but he gave no details of such a proposal and the White House did not immediately comment on his remarks, Reuters reported.
Tusk is a fierce critic of Russia over its war in Ukraine, but his comments reflected a positive response by European leaders to talks on Sunday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at which Zelenskiy said agreement was reached on security guarantees for Kyiv.
“Peace is on the horizon, there is no doubt that things have happened that give grounds for hope that this war can end, and quite quickly, but it is still a hope, far from 100% certain,” Tusk told a Polish government meeting after talks with allies.
“When I say peace is on the horizon, I’m talking about the coming weeks, not the coming months or years. By January, we’ll all have to come together… to make decisions about the future of Ukraine, the future of this part of the world.”
Trump said on Sunday that he and Zelenskiy were “maybe very close” to an agreement to end the war although “thorny” territorial issues remained. He was more cautious than Zelenskiy on security guarantees, but said they were 95% of the way to such an agreement and that he expected European countries to “take over a big part” of that effort with U.S. backing.
“The key result of recent days is the American declaration… (of) willingness to participate in security guarantees for Ukraine after a peace agreement, including the presence of American troops, for example, on the border or on the line of contact between Ukraine and Russia,” Tusk said.
“We’ll see how consistent our partners across the Atlantic will be, but this gives hope for a successful outcome.”
Russia has said any foreign troop deployment in Ukraine is unacceptable. It also said on Tuesday that its negotiating position will toughen after accusing Kyiv of attacking a Russian presidential residence, an allegation that Kyiv said was baseless and intended to prolong the conflict, read the report.
Tusk underlined the need for movement on territorial issues, with Russia demanding Ukrainian forces pull out of the last part of the Donbas area in eastern Ukraine that they still hold nearly four years after Russia’s invasion. Kyiv wants fighting halted along current front lines.
“Understandably, from his (Zelenskiy’s) perspective, a referendum would be necessary. The Ukrainian people would have to consent to territorial decisions,” Tusk said.
After Tusk spoke, Zelenskiy said Ukraine and the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” group of nations backing Kyiv planned to hold their next meetings early in January, Reuters reported.
Zelenskiy said the countries’ national security advisers would meet in Ukraine on January 3, and then leaders in France on January 6.
World
Three killed, two injured in shooting at Idaho shopping center
Authorities said at least two other people were wounded and transported for medical treatment. Their conditions were not immediately released.
Three people, including the suspected gunman, were killed and at least two others were injured after a shooting at a busy shopping area in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday, local authorities said.
The incident occurred at around 2:30 p.m. local time near an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in a high-traffic commercial district, according to Josh Palmer, the city’s public information coordinator.
Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said the suspected shooter was among the dead and confirmed that the threat to the community had been eliminated.
“At this point, the shooter is no longer a threat,” Hicks told reporters, adding that investigators are working to identify the suspect and determine a motive for the attack.
Authorities said at least two other people were wounded and transported for medical treatment. Their conditions were not immediately released.
Following the shooting, the Twin Falls Police Department temporarily closed roads surrounding the scene, including a nearby bridge, as officers secured the area and launched an investigation.
Twin Falls, with a population of about 47,400, is located in Idaho’s Magic Valley region.
Police have not yet released additional details about the victims or the circumstances surrounding the shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing.
World
Saar: Trade shifts from Pakistan to Central Asia and Iran discussed
World
US to make visa bond program permanent for people from dozens of countries
The U.S. State Department will make permanent a visa bond program that could require applicants from 50 countries, mostly from Africa, to post bonds of up to $20,000 when seeking U.S. visas, according to a federal noticeposted online on Friday.
The Federal Register notice applies to B1 and B2 visas, which are issued for business and tourism travel.
“Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers,” the notice said.
“The 2025 visa bond pilot, which provided a framework for the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of the Treasury to assess the feasibility of administering a visa bond program, has provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders.”
In the pilot program, consular officers could require bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or up to $15,000. The final rule eliminates the $5,000 option and raises the maximum bond to $20,000.
The final rule goes into effect on August 3 when it is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register. In the list of 50 countries for whose citizens this program applies, 30 are from Africa.
U.S. officials say the policy is intended to reduce visa overstays. Immigration advocates argue it will deter legitimate travel to the United States.
Rights advocates say President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown violates free speech and due process, while creating an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities and encouraging racial profiling. Trump has defended the measures as necessary to bolster national security.
While Trump says he wants to curb illegal immigration, his administration has made legal immigration more difficult, for example, by imposing new and expensive fees for applicants of certain visas and by enforcing social media vetting for applicants and immigrants already in the country.
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