32 h. ago Zelensky confirms Ukraine and Russia have begun prisoner of war exchange

Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that Ukraine and Russia have exchanged prisoners of war on Monday (9 June), the first swap since the two nations engaged in a second round of peace talks in Istanbul earlier this month.

Events

8 d. ago Zelenskyy warns Putin must not be rewarded for aggression as Istanbul peace talks end – Russia

Ukraine president calls for more pressure on Russia, ‘and not just from Europe’ as Kyiv demands return of childrenRuth Michaelson is reporting from Istanbul and will be providing updates on the talks. Here is some colour from outside Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace:A fleet of black sedans arrived outside the Çırağan Palace in Istanbul, signalling the arrival of some of the negotiations teams. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Russia launches deadly attacks across Ukraine before second round of talks with Kyiv – Russia

Russian shelling and air attacks kill five near Zaporizhzhia before second round of peace talks in IstanbulRuth Michaelson is reporting from Istanbul and will be providing updates on the talks. Here is some colour from outside Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace:A fleet of black sedans arrived outside the Çırağan Palace in Istanbul, signalling the arrival of some of the negotiations teams. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Putin plots revenge for 'Russia's black day': Tyrant poised to axe spymasters after strike on nuclear bombers was launched from warehouse beside intelligence HQ

As peace talks got underway in Istanbul, Ukraine followed up its Operation Spiderweb success with a series of new overnight assaults on Russian military targets

Events

9 d. ago Dozens of Russian warplanes destroyed in Ukrainian drone attack, claims Kyiv

Putin will be ‘infuriated’ by the attack, a Russia expert said, which comes a day before Moscow and Kyiv sit down in Istanbul for direct peace talks

Events

9 d. ago Ukraine launches major drone attack on Russian bombers, security official says

Reported strikes on four airbases in Siberia mark escalation in cross-border incursions before planned peace talksUkraine has launched a “large-scale” drone attack against Russian military bombers in Siberia, striking more than 40 warplanes thousands of kilometres from its own territory, a security official said.The claims could not be independently verified. But if confirmed, the attacks would mark Ukraine’s most damaging drone strike of the war to date, amid an escalation in cross-border incursions before planned peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Zelenskyy says Ukraine will send a delegation to Istanbul for talks with Russia on Monday

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine will send a delegation to Istanbul for a new round of direct peace talks with Russia on Monday,

Politics

1 week ago Ukraine says it's ready to resume talks with Russia but needs clarity on Kremlin's terms

A Ukraine presidential adviser says Ukraine is ready to resume direct peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday but insists that the Kremlin provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the war

Politics

1 week ago Russia and Ukraine in spat over proposed June peace talks after Trump pushes deadline on Putin

The Kremlin said Kyiv’s calls for Russia to release its ceasefire memorandum before talks in June were ‘non-constructive’

Politics

1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Kremlin holds back peace memorandum that it promised Trump

Zelenskyy says Moscow dragging out the process as Lavrov insists on another meeting; funeral for three sibling children killed by Russian cruise missile. What we know on day 1,191Ukraine has submitted its peace terms and insisted Russia do the same before further talks, which the Kremlin has demanded take place next Monday in Turkey. “We are not opposed to further meetings with the Russians and are awaiting their memorandum,” said the Ukrainian defence minister, Rustem Umerov. “The Russian side has at least four more days before their departure to provide us with their document for review. Diplomacy must be substantive, and the next meeting must yield results.”Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said instead that a Russian team “is ready to present a memorandum to the Ukrainian delegation and provide the necessary explanations during a second round of direct talks in Istanbul on Monday, 2 June”. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, on Wednesday called for Moscow to engage i...

Politics

2 w. ago Hundreds of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers and civilians released in biggest prisoner swap of war

Russia and Ukraine had each agreed after two hours of peace talks in Istanbul last week to swap 1,000 prisoners

Events

2 w. ago Hundreds of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers released in biggest prisoner swap of war

Russia and Ukraine had each agreed after two hours of peace talks in Istanbul last week to swap 1,000 prisoners

Events

2 w. ago ‘Every day there is shelling’: Ukrainian border town torn between hope and despair

Mayor of Bilopillya, where nine people were killed in strike on bus, says Russia has shown it does not care about talksEven before the Russian strike on a shuttle bus travelling from his frontline town at the weekend, the mayor of Bilopillya, Yuri Zarko, was very sceptical that Vladimir Putin’s agreement to direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul would lead to peace.The strike, which killed nine people including five over 60, only confirmed his conviction that talks to end the war were going nowhere and Ukraine had a challenging time ahead. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago ‘We will pay a huge price’: Ukraine fears war could drag on for years

Kyiv officials believe Moscow is not interested in peace despite talks in Istanbul and Trump’s interventionUkrainian officials believe a largely stalemated war of attrition with Russia is likely to continue for several more years, despite international efforts pushed by Donald Trump to end the fighting.After the inconclusive breakup of the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul on Friday, and despite the US president’s planned calls with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they see no evidence that Moscow is serious about peace. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago Russia and Ukraine agree prisoner swap but peace talks fail to make progress

Apart from agreeing to swap 1,000 prisoners each, Moscow sticks to maximalist demands in IstanbulRussia and Ukraine have agreed to a large-scale prisoner exchange but failed to reach a breakthrough during their first direct peace talks since 2022, held in Istanbul without either Vladimir Putin or Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Sitting down under pressure from the US president, Donald Trump, Ukraine had pushed for a 30-day ceasefire before the talks. Moscow rejected this, appearing to stick to its maximalist demands, including sweeping restrictions on Ukrainian sovereignty. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago A senior Ukrainian official accuses Russia of making unacceptable demands at peace talks in Turkey

A senior Ukrainian official at the peace talks in Istanbul accused Moscow of introducing “unacceptable demands” that had not been previously discussed, including calls for Kyiv’s forces to withdraw from large swaths of territory they control so a complete ceas efire to be implemented

Politics

3 w. ago 'Killing needs to stop,' says US top diplomat Rubio as Russia

The Russian president earlier proposed direct talks with Ukraine but then rejected speaking to Volodymyr Zelensky face-to-face and stayed away from a meeting in Istanbul

Events

3 w. ago Trump calls for summit with Putin 'as soon as we can' after Russian president snubs Ukraine peace talks

Putin earlier proposed direct talks with Ukraine but then rejected speaking to Volodymyr Zelensky face-to-face and stayed away from a meeting in Istanbul

Politics

3 w. ago Armoured vehicle convoy heads to Istanbul palace for direct Russia

The Russian president proposed the meeting but then rejected speaking to Volodymyr Zelensky face-to-face

Politics

3 w. ago Zelenskyy sends team for peace talks but says Russia ‘not serious enough’

Two sides set for first direct negotiations since March 2022 but Russia’s lower-level delegation in Istanbul seen as snubVolodymyr Zelenskyy has sent a delegation to Istanbul for peace talks with Russia, paving the way for the first direct negotiations between the two countries since March 2022 – although Washington has warned that no breakthrough is likely unless Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin agree to meet.Zelenskyy said the talks could begin as early as Thursday evening or Friday and that Kyiv would focus on pushing for an immediate 30-day ceasefire. Continue reading...

Politics