from peace talks after East diplomacy tour

Historic... Donald Trump with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa

- By Giles Sheldrick Chief Reporter

DONALD Trump stepped back from mediating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine today after Vladimir Putin confirmed he would not be attending.

It came after an extraordinary 48 hours in the Middle East which saw the US president seal £600billion in deals with the Saudi government, before sensationally lifting sanctions on Syria and shaking hands with its new president Ahmed al-Sharaa.

In a historic meeting — the first between an American and Syrian president in 25 years — Trump lifted strangulating economic penalties, saying freedom “gives them a chance for greatness”.

Former Al Qaeda fighter al-Sharaa had battled US forces in Iraq and was imprisoned in the notorious Abu Ghraib American military jail in Iraq between 2006 and 2011.

Until recently, he was a jihadi military commander with a £10million bounty on his head.

Potential