After a two-hour call between US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin, both sides now say they’re ready to begin immediate ceasefire negotiations. It’s the clearest sign in months that diplomacy could be making a comeback.
Trump said the call went “very well” and described the tone as “excellent.” Russia also confirmed that contact between negotiators has restarted and a possible memorandum for a future peace agreement is being discussed.
But while the mood may be shifting, the details are still unclear. There’s no outline yet of what either side is willing to give up, or how far apart they are on key issues like territory and long-term security.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he asked Trump not to make any decisions “without us” and is now proposing a high-level meeting between Ukraine, Russia, the US, EU and UK. He says it could be hosted in Turkey, the Vatican or Switzerland. A major prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine could also be announced within days.
After the Putin call, Trump spoke with leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Finland and the European Commission — a signal he’s trying to line up support behind the scenes.
Putin, for his part, said the conversation was “frank and informative” and that Russia remains open to a peaceful solution. But he also repeated that the “root causes” of the war need to be addressed — a phrase often used by Moscow to push its demands on NATO and Ukraine’s international ties.
Trump also mentioned the Vatican as a possible location for talks, following vice president JD Vance’s visit to Pope Leo XIV earlier in the day.
Skeptics, however, warn that both sides may be using this moment to buy time or shift blame. Putin skipped a peace invitation in Istanbul just last week, and past negotiations have collapsed over major disagreements.
For now, there’s momentum. But whether it leads to a lasting peace — or just more posturing — is still uncertain.
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Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
Iran is preparing to host a multilateral regional meeting next week in a bid to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
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Türkiye’s Trade Minister Omer Bolat said Friday that discussions in Washington with U.S. officials have strengthened efforts to expand bilateral trade, moving closer to a $100 billion target.
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