live Israel insists on troops in southern Lebanon as Rubio promotes peace deal
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a new round of talks with Russia is expected to take place in Türkiye on Wednesday, as part of efforts to end the war.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said he discussed the planned meeting with National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, along with preparations for a potential prisoner exchange.
“Umerov reported that the meeting is planned for Wednesday. There will be more details tomorrow,” he said.
Speaking earlier to Ukrainian ambassadors in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Umerov had proposed the new talks, adding that meaningful negotiations “can only take place at the level of national leaders.” He urged ambassadors to secure international backing for the format.
Russian officials have not issued an official statement.
“The agenda from our side is clear,” Zelenskyy posted on X. “I urge you to inform your host countries of the importance of this negotiation framework.”
If held as planned, this will be the third direct round of renewed negotiations between the two sides. The previous talks took place in Türkiye on 16 May and 2 June, resulting in an agreement on a limited prisoner exchange and the return of the bodies of 6,000 fallen soldiers from each side.
Without revealing full details of the agenda, Zelenskyy noted the discussions are proceeding through diplomatic channels with Turkish support.
Addressing broader diplomatic goals, he outlined Ukraine’s priorities: expanding sanctions against Russia, strengthening air defences, and boosting drone capabilities. He said new defence formats are needed despite strong existing cooperation, pointing to Denmark’s F-16 initiative, Czech artillery support, and France’s training of Ukrainian pilots on Mirage jets.
“Now the priority is drones — all types,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine must also find innovative ways to convert frozen Russian assets and court victories into funding for national defence.
He confirmed continued coordination with President Donald Trump’s administration on air defence systems and drone-related cooperation.
Zelenskyy also highlighted Ukraine’s partnerships beyond NATO and the EU, citing frameworks such as Ukraine–Northern Europe, Ukraine–Southeast Europe, the Crimean Platform, and its close cooperation with Türkiye.
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as the top U.S. diplomat tours the Middle East to win over allies sceptical about a proposed deal.
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into "infinity, despite Tehran's denials, and that unfrozen Iranian assets would be used to buy humanitarian supplies from the United States.
Authorities in France are reporting that about 20 people have died over the weekend while swimming in unsupervised areas of rivers, lakes and coastal waters as they tried to escape the heatwave.
Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surpassed 1,000, with health officials warning that the outbreak is spreading rapidly through displacement camps and across borders.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he will “most likely” hold bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump during next month’s NATO summit in Ankara, where the American leader is expected to attend.
Russia has called for clarification on whether U.S. President Donald Trump has changed his position on the war in Ukraine following remarks made at the recent G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains.
The European Union and Taliban officials held talks in Brussels on Tuesday on consular services and the situation of Afghans whose asylum applications have been rejected in Europe.
China’s anti-corruption authorities have launched an investigation into Bian Zhigang, a senior defence and space official, over suspected serious violations of discipline and law, officials said on Wednesday.
Alibaba, one of the world's largest technology and e-commerce companies, has sued the U.S. Pentagon after being added to a blacklist of firms it claims support China's military, escalating a dispute with potentially significant consequences for the company.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment