World

PARIS — France on Monday said a plan for a one-month truce between Russia and Ukraine would test Moscow's commitment to ending the war it began with its 2022 invasion.

A day after European leaders rallied around Ukraine at a summit in London after a stormy White House dispute between Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also warned that the Ukraine "front line keeps getting closer to us".

President Emmanuel Macron said after the London talks that France and Britain were proposing a one-month truce in Ukraine "in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure", though not, initially at least, covering ground fighting.

Barrot said such a move "would allow to prove the good will of (Russian President) Vladimir Putin if he commits to a truce".

"And it's then that real peace negotiations would start. We want a solid peace and a durable peace," he told France Inter radio.

In an initial phase, it is "a way of verifying that Russia is willing to end this war", Barrot said, emphasising that no withdrawal of Russian troops on the ground was envisaged during the truce.

 'Risk of war in Europe' 

While Macron's attendance at the London summit called by Prime Minister Keir Starmer has placed Franco-British cooperation at the heart of the search for peace, UK armed forces minister Luke Pollard said "no agreement has been made on what a truce looks like".

"But we are working together with France and our European allies to look at what is the path to how... we create a lasting and durable peace in Ukraine," Pollard told Times Radio.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a UK government official added: "There are various options on the table, subject to further discussions with the US and European partners, but a one-month truce has not been agreed."

Friedrich Merz, the right-wing politician set to be Germany's next chancellor after last month's elections, meanwhile thanked Starmer for his "leadership to bring a lasting and just peace" to Ukraine.

"We have to remain united in our goal to end Russia's war of aggression," he added on X.

Asked by France Inter to respond to Trump's accusation that Zelensky was "gambling with World War III", Barrot acknowledged the danger of the conflict spreading.

"Never has the risk of a war in Europe, in the European Union been so high... the threat keeps getting closer to us, the front line keeps getting closer to us," he said.

"To end the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, we want the United States, through pressure, to be able to bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and agree to put an end once and for all to his imperialist ambitions which have moved the front line closer and closer to home," Barrot added.

 'Desire to humiliate' 

In their Oval Office meeting on Friday, Trump berated Zelensky, telling him to be more "thankful" for US support against the invading Russian army in the three-year-old war and demanding he "make a deal" with Moscow.

Following the televised clash with Trump and US Vice President JD Vance, Zelensky departed the White House without signing an expected deal on Kyiv's rare minerals.

But the Ukrainian leader has maintained he is still open to signing a mineral deal as a step towards "security guarantees".

France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou in parliament later on Monday saluted the fact that Zelensky did not "fold" to US pressure, describing Trump and Vance's attempted takedown of the Ukrainian leader as "a shocking scene, marked by brutality and a desire to humiliate".

He said the scene had left two victims: "the security of Ukraine" and "a certain idea of the alliance" between the United States and Europe.

"It is up to us Europeans to guarantee the security and defence of Europe," he said at a debate on Ukraine and European security.

TOKYO — More than 2,000 fire-fighters are battling Japan's biggest forest fire in three decades, officials said Monday, as some 4,600 residents remain under an evacuation advisory.

One person died last week in the blaze in the northern region of Iwate, which follows record low rainfall in the area and last year's hottest summer on record across Japan, as climate change pushes up temperatures worldwide.

"Although it is inevitable that the fire will spread to some extent, we will take all possible measures to ensure there will be no impact on people's homes," Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in parliament.

The fire near the city of Ofunato has burned through some 2,100 hectares since Thursday, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Monday.

Fire-fighters from 14 Japanese regions, including units from Tokyo, were now tackling the blaze, with 16 helicopters, including from the military, trying to douse the flames.

It is estimated to have damaged 84 buildings by Sunday, although details were still being assessed, the agency said.

Around 2,000 people have left the area to stay with friends or relatives, while more than 1,200 evacuated to shelters, according to officials.

Morning footage from Ofunato on national broadcaster NHK showed orange flames close to buildings and white smoke billowing into the air.

The number of wildfires in Japan has declined since the peak in the 1970s, according to government data.

But there were about 1,300 across the country in 2023, concentrated in the February to April period when the air dries and winds pick up.

Ofunato saw just 2.5 millimetres of rainfall in February, breaking the previous record low for the month of 4.4 millimetres in 1967 and below the usual average of 41 millimetres.

Some types of extreme weather have a well established link with climate change, such as heat waves or heavy rainfall.

Other phenomena like droughts, snowstorms, tropical storms and forest fires can result from a combination of complex factors.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, 88, has been in hospital in Rome since February 14, suffering two respiratory crises but reported by the Vatican on Sunday evening to be in a "stable" condition.

Here is what we know about the health of the Argentine pontiff, head of the Catholic Church and its almost 1.4 billion followers since 2013.

- Stable but complex condition -

Francis was admitted to the Gemelli hospital initially for bronchitis, but this then developed into pneumonia in both lungs.

On February 22 the Vatican revealed he had suffered a "prolonged asthmatic attack" which required him to receive "high-flow" oxygen via a nasal cannula.

Francis also required blood transfusions for thrombocytopenia, a condition that occurs when the platelet count in the blood is too low, which can prevent clotting and lead to continued bleeding.

Over the following days, the Vatican reported an incrementally more positive picture, but there was another major issue on February 28.

The pope suffered "an isolated crisis of bronchospasm" , a tightening of the muscles that line the airways in the lungs, which caused "an episode of vomiting with inhalation", the Holy See said.

He began "non-invasive mechanical ventilation", receiving oxygen through a mask, according to a Vatican source,  and was nevertheless reported to be "in good spirits".

On March 2, a Vatican source revealed that more than 48 hours after the crisis, it appeared there had been "no further consequences" from the episode.

The pope's condition "remained stable", the Holy See said in its official update that day, saying he had no fever and had on Sunday morning participated in mass.

However, "in view of the complexity of the clinical picture, the prognosis remains reserved".

 Work continues 

The pope has been staying in a special papal suite on the 10th floor of the Gemelli hospital, praying and performing some work, according to a Vatican source.

He has been reading and signing documents, notably appointments of bishops around the world, as well as making telephone calls.

Francis has twice received Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, and Edgar Pena Parra, a Venezuelan archbishop who is Parolin's numbers two.

But he has not yet been seen in public, notably missing his Sunday Angelus prayers, which in previous hospital stays he delivered from the Gemelli balcony.

Instead, the Vatican has published his written texts each week.

LONDON — Volodymyr Zelensky told British media Sunday it would not be easy to replace him as Ukraine's president, but repeated his offer to step down in exchange for NATO membership for his war-torn country.

US Republicans had suggested he may have to resign after US President Donald Trump dramatically turned against him during a contentious Oval Office meeting about the war with Russia on Friday.

"If they replace me, given what is going on, given the support, simply replacing me will not be simple," Zelensky told British media.

"It's not enough to just hold an election. You need to also not let me run. This will be a bit more difficult. Looks like you will have to negotiate with me," he added. 

"And I said that I am exchanging for NATO. Then I fulfilled my mission."

The unprecedented public spat at the Oval Office resulted in Zelensky leaving the White House without the anticipated signing of a preliminary pact on sharing Ukrainian mineral rights.

While European leaders rallied around Ukraine, Republican officials appeared Sunday on news programs questioning whether any deal could be reached with Russia so long as Zelensky remains.

"We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians, and end this war," National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told CNN.

"And if it becomes apparent that President Zelensky's either personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in this country, then I think we have a real issue."

Republican Mike Johnson, speaker of the House of Representatives, also questioned whether Zelensky was fit for the job.

"Either he needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude, or someone else needs to lead the country."

Senior Democrats have angrily pushed back since the debacle Friday, saying Trump has come dangerously close to an all-out embrace of Russia.

Zelensky has been calling for Ukraine to be given NATO membership as part of any deal to end the war, but the Washington-led alliance has been reluctant to make a pledge.

Trump said in February that Ukraine can "forget about" joining NATO in any settlement, explaining: "I think that's probably the reason the whole thing started."

Russia cited potential Ukrainian membership in NATO as a reason for its invasion three years ago.

KINSHASA — The Democratic Republic of Congo's army denied Sunday that 20 fighters linked to the Rwandan genocide had been captured on its territory, calling a video of their handover to Rwanda "faked".

The statement came after the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group in eastern DRC said on Saturday it had captured fighters from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia founded by ethnic Hutus who took part in the genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994.

Rwanda has long pointed to the alleged presence of the FDLR in eastern DRC to justify its support for the M23.

With Rwanda's backing, the M23 has seized swathes of the DRC's troubled, mineral-rich east in recent months, including the key provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu.

The M23 released a video showing its forces handing over 20 alleged FDLR fighters to Rwanda at a border post between the two countries.

"This is a faked incident in poor taste orchestrated with the sole aim of discrediting our army," the Congolese armed forces chiefs of staff said in a statement.

"This is part of the Rwandan strategy to justify the invasion of parts of the DRC's territory," it added.

"The Rwandan authorities, who specialize in the art of lies and manipulation, took old FDLR detainees, dressed them in new military fatigues, and passed them off as FDLR fighters newly captured in Goma."

The DRC high command also accused the Rwandan army of "summary executions" of wounded and ill soldiers at a field hospital in Goma, which "constitutes a war crime and crime against humanity", it said.

The escalating conflict in eastern DRC has raised fears it could spiral into a wider regional war, drawing in Rwanda, Uganda and other countries.

LONDON — UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday gave Volodymyr Zelensky a warm welcome in London, a day after the Ukrainian leader's clash with US President Donald Trump.

And ahead of Sunday's summit in London to discuss how to support Ukraine as it battles Russia's invading forces, Starmer reiterated his support for Kyiv.

"In partnership with our allies, we must intensify our preparations for the European element of security guarantees alongside continued discussions with the United States," he said in a statement issued late Saturday.

"Now is the time for us to unite in order to guarantee the best outcome for Ukraine, protect European security, and secure our collective future," he added.

Hours earlier, Ukraine and the UK unveiled a £2.26 billion ($2.84 billion) loan agreement to support Ukraine's defence capabilities, to be paid back with the profits of immobilised sovereign Russian assets.

"The funds will be directed toward weapons production in Ukraine," Zelensky said on X.

"This is true justice -- the one who started the war must be the one to pay."

Supporters cheered as Zelensky's convoy swept into Downing Street, where he was embraced by Starmer and posed for photographs before heading inside the British leader's home.

"You're very, very welcome here in Downing Street," Starmer told Zelensky.

"I want to thank you, the people of the United Kingdom, for such big support from the very beginning of this war," Zelensky responded.

He is due to meet King Charles III on Sunday.

The leaders met behind closed doors for around 75 minutes, and embraced again as Starmer escorted Zelensky to his car.

- 'A new age of infamy' -

Earlier Saturday Zelensky had stressed that Trump's support was still "crucial" for Ukraine despite their row the previous day.

The clash was a further shock to Kyiv's European allies, still adjusting to Washington's new stance on the war.

On Friday as cameras in the Oval Office rolled, Trump berated Zelensky for not being "ready" for peace with Russia, triggering alarm across Europe.

"Yesterday evening underlined that a new age of infamy has begun," said Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

Starmer, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and French President Emmanuel Macron were among several other European leaders who reiterated their support for Kyiv after the row.

In an interview with the BBC, NATO chief Mark Rutte said he had told Zelensky he had to "find a way" to restore his relationship with Trump.

Russian politicians were delighted, however.

Russia's former president Dmitry Medvedev called Zelensky an "insolent pig" who had received "a proper slap down in the Oval Office".

Although Zelensky left the White House without having signed the deal on Kyiv's rare minerals, he insisted he was still ready to sign it as "the first step toward security guarantees".

"It's crucial for us to have President Trump's support. He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do," Zelensky posted on X.

Zelensky will be at Sunday's emergency talks in London with Kyiv's European backers -- a meeting that will also be attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Starmer said he would meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Sunday at Downing Street, before the main summit. In Rome, her office said late Saturday that she had spoken with Trump by phone to discuss the London gathering.

Shouting match

Trump stunned many in Europe when he reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek a deal on Ukraine, which Moscow invaded three years ago.

The Republican's sudden shift -- sidelining Kyiv and Europe while pursuing rapprochement with Putin -- has rattled the transatlantic NATO alliance.

Those concerns were only exacerbated by Friday's White House shouting match.

During the televised clash, Trump and Vice President JD Vance angrily accused Zelensky of not being "thankful" and refusing to accept their proposed truce terms.

"You're either going to make a deal or we're out, and if we're out, you'll fight it out and I don't think it's going to be pretty," Trump said.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva described the Oval Office uproar as "a grotesque and disrespectful scene".

He added: "I think that Zelensky was humiliated, I think that in Trump's mind Zelensky deserved it, I think that the European Union was harmed by Zelensky's speech."

EU 'independence' from US

Trump has alarmed Kyiv and European allies with his abrupt U-turn in US policy, casting himself as a mediator between Putin and Zelensky and refusing to condemn the Russian invasion.

He said in the Oval Office that he had "spoken on numerous occasions" to Putin -- more than has been publicly reported.

With fears growing over whether the United States will continue to support NATO, Sunday's gathering in the UK will also address the need for Europe to increase defence cooperation.

France's Macron has said he is ready to "open the discussion" on a possible future European nuclear deterrent.

"We have a shield, they don't," he said in an interview with French newspapers appearing Sunday. "And they can no longer depend on the American nuclear deterrent."

France and Britain are the only Western European countries with a nuclear arsenal.

Germany's likely next leader, Friedrich Merz, also stressed the need for the continent to move quickly to "achieve independence" from the United States on defence matters.

But Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban -- the closest ally of Trump and the Kremlin in the European Union -- vowed to oppose any EU-wide agreement on the conflict.

"I am convinced that the European Union -- following the example of the United States -- should enter into direct discussions with Russia on a ceasefire and a sustainable peace in Ukraine," Orban wrote in a letter.