US President Donald Trump said Monday that a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine was closer than ever, as European leaders proposed a “multinational force” to enforce a potential peace accord.The upbeat remarks came as key powers met in Berlin with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to push forward efforts to end the war — although Russia had yet to react to the latest proposals.”I think we’re closer now than we have been ever,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that he had “very long and very good talks” with Zelensky and others, including the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and NATO.The European leaders in a joint statement at the Berlin talks proposed a force as part of US-backed “robust security guarantees” aimed at guaranteeing that Russia would not violate an agreement to end the war, which started with Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion.Zelensky said earlier that talks with Trump’s envoys were “not easy” but brought “progress” on the question of security guarantees.He met for a second day with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner for talks aimed at ending the war, building on a proposal initially put forward by Trump.Zelensky hailed new security guarantees offered by Washington but also said differences remained on the question of what territories Ukraine would have to cede to Russia.”There has been sufficient dialogue on the territory, and I think that, frankly speaking, we still have different positions,” Zelensky told reporters.- US security guarantees -An upbeat German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the talks had created the “chance for a real peace process” and praised the US for offering “substantial” security guarantees.The European statement — whose signatories included the leaders of Britain, France and Germany — also outlined what it said were other points of agreement between the European leaders and US officials.Ukraine’s military should continue receiving extensive support and maintain a peacetime strength of 800,000 troops, it said.Peace would also be maintained by a “US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism” that would identify violations and “provide early warning of any future attack”.US officials warned Ukraine must accept the deal, which they said would provide security guarantees in line with NATO’s Article Five — which calls an attack on one ally an attack on all.”The basis of that agreement is basically to have really, really strong guarantees — Article Five-like — also a very, very strong deterrence” in the size of Ukraine’s military, a US official said on condition of anonymity.”Those guarantees will not be on the table forever. Those guarantees are on the table right now if there’s a conclusion that’s reached in a good way,” he said.Trump has previously ruled out a formal entry of Ukraine into NATO and sided with Russia in calling Kyiv’s aspirations to the alliance a reason for the full-scale invasion by Moscow.Merz said “substantial legal and material security guarantees” from the United States were “truly remarkable” and “a very important step forward”.- ‘Criminal attack’ -Zelensky said of the talks with the US side that “these conversations are always not easy” but that it had been “a productive conversation”.An official briefed on the US-Ukrainian talks earlier told AFP that US negotiators still want Ukraine to cede control of the eastern Donbas — made up of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.Moscow controls almost all of Lugansk and about 80 percent of the Donetsk region, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War.Russian President Vladimir Putin “wants territory”, said the official, adding that the United States was demanding that Ukraine “withdraw” from the regions and that Kyiv was refusing.One of the US officials acknowledged that there was no agreement on territory. Trump has called it inevitable that Ukraine would need to surrender territory to Russia, an outcome unacceptable to Zelensky.Russia, meanwhile, has signalled it will insist on its core demands, including on territory and on Ukraine never joining NATO.Moscow has previously objected to any European-led force in Ukraine to police a peace agreement.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia was expecting the United States to “provide us with the concept that is being discussed in Berlin today”.burs-fz/rlp/rmb

Rob Reiner’s cinematic career spanned decades and defied categorization, embracing courtroom drama, fantasy, horror, comedy, and satire.Each success was distinguished by incisive writing and a deep humanity that wove his work into the fabric of popular culture.Few filmmakers have matched Reiner’s breadth — or left behind so many lines that endure in memory, quoted everywhere from comedy stages to political podiums.In the wake of his shocking killing, that legacy has only come into sharper focus, as tributes pour in to a filmmaker whose work blended wit, empathy and moral clarity with rare consistency.Here are five Reiner classics, endlessly rewatched and quoted, that now stand as both entertainment and epitaph.- This Is Spinal Tap (1984) -Reiner’s directorial debut didn’t merely lampoon rock culture — it helped invent the modern mockumentary.The film chronicles a hapless British heavy-metal band on a US tour gone spectacularly awry.Initially overlooked, earning just $6 million and no major awards, it later joined the US National Film Registry for its cultural significance.Home video and its endlessly quotable dialogue transformed it into a cult phenomenon.Notable quotable: “These go to 11.” — Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) with a deadpan declaration about an amplifier’s volume knob that has become shorthand for trying to turn everything up beyond the limit.- The Princess Bride (1987) -A fairy tale brimming with swordplay, true love, revenge, rodents of unusual size and — again — relentlessly quotable dialogue.Another modest box-office performer at $31 million, it blossomed into one of the most cherished films of the 1980s.Though it earned no Oscars, its cultural immortality is unquestioned.Notable quotable: “As you wish.” — Westley (Cary Elwes) with a romantic refrain expressing his devotion to Buttercup — later revealed to mean simply “I love you.”- When Harry Met Sally… (1989) -Two neurotic New Yorkers spend more than a decade debating whether men and women can ever be “just friends.” This became the blueprint for the modern rom-com — sharp, adult and emotionally honest. Nora Ephron’s screenplay earned an Oscar nod, and the film grossed $93 million worldwide, cementing Reiner’s commercial clout.Notable quotable: “I’ll have what she’s having.” — Customer (Estelle Reiner) delivers a deadpan line in an iconic diner scene that steals the movie. So beloved it was placed in the American Film Institute’s list of memorable movie quotes.- Misery (1990) -Reiner plunged into psychological horror with this Stephen King adaptation: a novelist (James Caan) survives a car crash only to be held captive by an unhinged superfan who insists he rewrite his latest book — or else.It was proof Reiner could pivot from straight-up comedy into darkness without missing a beat.He directed Kathy Bates to an Academy Award for her turn as deranged nurse Annie Wilkes and the film netted roughly $61 million worldwide on a modest budget.Notable quotable: “I’m your number one fan!” — Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) makes a chilling proclamation of obsessive devotion that perfectly captures her menace.- A Few Good Men (1992) -A taut courtroom drama about a young Navy lawyer uncovering a deadly conspiracy while defending Marines accused of murder at Guantanamo Bay.Reiner delivered a morally complex thriller at full throttle, powered by Aaron Sorkin’s script and Jack Nicholson’s volcanic performance.The film scored four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and grossed $243 million worldwide — Reiner’s biggest hit.Notable quotable: “You can’t handle the truth!” — Col. Nathan R. Jessup (Jack Nicholson) with a thunderous courtroom declaration that has become one of cinema’s most quoted lines, epitomizing the film’s central moral conundrum.