US Vice President J D Vance’s remarks on diplomacy sparked clash between Trump-Zelenskyy
Washington, D.C.: A meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House took a dramatic turn on Friday after Vice President JD Vance interjected during discussions, leading to a heated exchange and an abrupt end to the talks.
The meeting, which began with handshakes and formal pleasantries, saw tensions rise when Trump suggested that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war could have been avoided if he had been in office earlier. The atmosphere worsened when Trump appeared to shift the blame onto Ukraine for the conflict, despite Russia’s invasion in 2022.
The situation escalated further when Vance responded to a journalist’s question about Trump’s stance on Russia, asserting that diplomacy was key to resolving the war. Zelenskyy strongly rejected this view, recalling Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and broken ceasefire agreements.
"What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about?" Zelenskyy asked, criticising the notion that negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin could bring peace. Vance, in turn, accused Zelenskyy of being "disrespectful" to Trump and the US administration.
As the argument intensified, Zelenskyy questioned whether Vance had ever been to Ukraine, highlighting the suffering caused by the war. Vance countered by claiming Ukraine was engaging in propaganda and implied that Zelenskyy had not shown enough gratitude for US support.
The confrontation reached a breaking point when Trump intervened, telling Zelenskyy, "You are in no position to dictate how we are going to feel." Vance then questioned whether Zelenskyy had ever thanked the US, leading to a sharp response from the Ukrainian leader: "A lot of times."
The exchange quickly devolved into a shouting match, lasting nearly three minutes before Zelenskyy stormed out of the White House. A planned joint press conference was cancelled, and the meeting ended with no clear resolution.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
