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Thousands of residents blocked Austria’s Brenner motorway on Saturday (30 May), shutting down a major north-south transport route through the Alps i...
The U.S. has signalled to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukraine must accept a U.S.-drafted framework to end the war with Russia that proposes Kyiv giving up territory and some weapons, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
The sources, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the proposals included cutting the size of Ukraine's armed forces, among other things. Washington wants Kyiv to accept the main points, they said.
Such a plan would represent a major setback for Kyiv as it faces further Russian territorial gains in eastern Ukraine and with Zelenskyy tackling a corruption scandal, which on Wednesday saw parliament dismiss the energy and justice ministers.
The White House declined to comment on the matter. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that Washington "will continue to develop a list of potential ideas for ending this war based on input from both sides of this conflict."
A senior Ukrainian official earlier told Reuters that Kyiv had received "signals" about a set of U.S. proposals to end the war that Washington has discussed with Russia.
Ukraine has had no role in preparing the proposals, the source said.
Zelenskyy, who was holding talks in Türkiye on Wednesday with President Tayyip Erdoğan, is due to meet U.S. Army officials in Kyiv on Thursday.
In comments on Telegram, Zelenskyy did not mention Washington's framework but called for effective U.S. leadership to help bring the more than 3 1/2-year-old war to an end.
"The main thing for stopping the bloodshed and achieving lasting peace is that we work in coordination with all our partners and that American leadership remains effective, strong," Zelenskyy wrote after meeting Erdoğan in Ankara.
The Ukrainian president also said Erdoğan had proposed different formats for talks "and it is important for us that Türkiye is ready to provide the necessary platform."
Signs of a renewed push by Trump's administration to end the war triggered the biggest jump in Ukraine's government bond prices in months on Wednesday.
No face-to-face talks have taken place between Kyiv and Moscow since a meeting in Istanbul in July and Russian forces have pressed on with Moscow's nearly four-year-old war in Ukraine, killing 25 people in strikes overnight.
U.S. rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, performed to a crowd of 118,000 people in Istanbul on Saturday night, marking his first concert in Europe in more than a decade, despite being barred from performing in several countries over past antisemitic remarks.
Iranian-made Yassin missiles were spotted mounted on Armenian Air Force fighter aircraft during Armenia's latest military parade on Thursday (28 May), drawing attention from defence observers and regional analysts.
The Philippines remains under a "severe threat" from China despite recent efforts by Washington and Beijing to ease tensions, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday (30 May).
Thai rescuers say five people have been pulled alive from a flooded cave in remote Laos, where seven villagers became trapped after heavy rain cut off access underground.
Russia has recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations, citing Yerevan's growing rapprochement with the European Union. The move is seen as the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the longtime allies ahead of Armenia's parliamentary election on 7 June.
South Africa's preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have suffered an unexpected setback after the national team failed to depart for Mexico as scheduled on Sunday (31 May) because some players and officials had not yet received their visas.
Five people have died after a mine shaft collapsed during an illegal mining operation in southwestern China, state media reported on Sunday (31 May), just days after the country's deadliest mining disaster in more than a decade claimed at least 82 lives.
Thousands of people gathered across Colombo on Saturday night (30 May) as Sri Lanka's capital came alive with light and colour for Vesak, one of the most important festivals in the Buddhist calendar.
The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) football team retained its Champions League title at Puskás Aréna in Budapest on Saturday night, after overcoming Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw following extra time.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is continuing to spread, with 263 confirmed cases and 43 deaths reported as of 30 May.
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