The diplomatic push gained momentum after Russian and Ukrainian delegations held their first formal discussions in nine months, brokered by American intermediaries in the United Arab Emirates. Those sessions resulted in an agreement in principle for a massive prisoner release, though Ukrainian leadership firmly maintains it will not concede occupied land for a peace deal. The shuttle diplomacy proceeds amid active hostilities, including a deadly Russian market strike in the Odesa region and massive Ukrainian drone swarms targeting Russian territory.
Key points
Diplomatic discussions have officially resumed between Russian and Ukrainian representati…: Diplomatic discussions have officially resumed between Russian and Ukrainian representatives after a nine-month freeze in formal bilateral talks.
Broad expectations for a comprehensive conflict settlement remain low due to Ukraine's fi…: Broad expectations for a comprehensive conflict settlement remain low due to Ukraine's firm refusal to surrender occupied territory.
Cross-border strikes continue unabated, demonstrated by Russia intercepting 627 Ukrainian…: Cross-border strikes continue unabated, demonstrated by Russia intercepting 627 Ukrainian drones that damaged the Ust-Luga oil export port.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
US President Donald Trump's envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will meet Russian President Vladimir
Putin in Moscow on Thursday, before travelling to Ireland for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Axios reported on Wednesday.
The planned meetings come after two days of US-mediated talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Abu Dhabi, which ended with an agreement in principle on a major prisoner exchange.
“One of the positives is we agreed that we're going to have the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners, which we're going to finalise the numbers tomorrow,” Kushner said after the talks.
Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky and Ukraine's lead negotiator Rustem Umerov confirmed the planned exchange. The two countries have periodically exchanged prisoners during their nearly five-year war.
The talks marked the first meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in nine months. However, expectations of a major breakthrough remained low, with Washington seeking to revive its peace efforts, which have so far failed to produce significant results.
Zelenskyy described the proposed prisoner exchange as a positive development but maintained that Ukraine would not agree…
The 43-year-old district attorney overcame consistent pre-election deficits in a state Donald Trump carried by nearly 23 percentage points in 2024. By unseating Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith, he ended a decades-long drought for state Democrats and helped his party secure control of both congressional chambers.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei challenged American narratives by claiming Washington fabricates headlines to present itself as a terrorism victim. He warned that the international community is being pressured to accept unsubstantiated terror plot allegations while ignoring Western aggression. Furthermore, Baghaei argued these media efforts cannot shield the United States from scrutiny regarding its own military and intelligence activities in the region.
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