‘Trump turns the screw’ and ‘Farage’s pal betrays Britain’
Many of Saturday’s papers are leading up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “agonizing choice” on whether to accept a US-backed peace deal with Russia, as the Daily Mail wrote. “Trump turns the screw,” the Mail’s headline reported, stating that Ukraine had been told until Thursday to accept a “humiliating peace deal”.
According to the Financial Times, Zelensky warns that his country faces a choice between “losing US support or losing dignity” over the peace deal. European allies are caught “off guard” by the plan drawn up by aides to the US and Russian presidents, saying it amounts to “capitulation” to Moscow’s demands. Zelensky said he would not reject the initiative “out of hand” but would “offer alternatives” in dialogue with Washington.
According to the Independent, the Ukrainian president said in his speech to the country that his country was facing the “most difficult moment in history”. Elsewhere the paper reports on the “remarkable” 19-wicket first day of the Ashes in Perth; here captain Ben Stokes led “a fierce tackle against Australia”.
Trump confirmed the deadline for Ukraine to respond to the peace plan on Thursday, the Times reported, but the White House denied reports that the United States could “cut off” intelligence sharing if Zelensky refuses. European leaders, alongside Britain, are working to “strengthen” the agreement “due to concerns that Ukraine risks further attacks if it weakens its armed forces.”
Reform Britain leader Nigel Farage is leading one of his “allies” to be sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison for accepting pro-Russian bribes, the Daily Mirror has reported. Former Reform UK leader in Wales Nathan Gill, described by the newspaper as a “former bigwig of the party”, received as much as £40,000 from businessman Oleg Voloshyn for “making pro-Russian speeches”.
According to the Guardian, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is calling on Farage to “Reform to root out ties between the UK and Russia” following Gill’s conviction. The paper says the government believes Reform UK is “vulnerable” to criticism that Farage and his allies are “too pro-Russian”. Police said there was no connection to Farage in the investigation into Gill.
If an election were held now, the Conservative Party would have just 14 seats, according to an internal party poll leaked to the Telegraph. An insider told the paper that the party faced an “existential threat” from Reformation England, with polling predicting it would gain a 46-seat majority. Another source says the Conservatives are in danger of being “consigned to the history books”.
The challenges facing Labor are the focus of i Weekend, which reports that the Prime Minister has “lost control” of his party’s MPs ahead of the Budget. Some Labor MPs have become “a bit wild” over uncertainty over Sir Keir’s leadership, according to former Downing Street advisers. Backbenchers and ministers are calling for more aid for “people in distress” amid “struggle to make ends meet”.
Sarah Ferguson is “considering offers” for a “tell-all TV interview” for the first time since ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten relinquished his titles over his links to convicted Windsor sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Sun reports. Some US networks are “willing to pay six-figure sums to secure chats” with the former Duchess of York.
MPs are considering whether to award a “service injury medal” for police officers who had to resign after being injured while on active duty, the Daily Express reported.
Finally, the Daily Star follows a boss who gave his staff time off to see their children’s Christmas events, including pantos. “Oh, yes he did,” the newspaper writes.
