Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump aide says Putin meeting ‘imminent’ while Rubio attends peace talks in Turkey

US secretary of state Marco Rubio is in Turkey for a vital day of worldwide diplomacy.

However he gained’t be taking part in a direct function within the talks.

As a substitute, Michael Anton, the US director for coverage planning, will signify the US in talks between Ukraine and Russia, a US state division spokesperson has advised the BBC.

It’s one other blow for Volodymyr Zelensky, who had hoped that sending a higher-level delegation than the Russian facet – and providing to fulfill Vladimir Putin instantly – would disclose to Washington that Moscow just isn’t severe about peace.

The White Home seems to have accepted Moscow’s determination to not ship a high-level delegation to the talks, itself sending a lower-level consultant into the room.

As delegations from Moscow and Kyiv put together to speak for the primary time in additional than three years, Russia has continued firing a barrage of drones at Ukraine.

In Kyiv, vital harm was triggered and fires broke out after particles from Russian drones fell on town.

“Explosions within the capital. Air defence is responding to enemy UAVs,” town’s mayor Vitali Klitschko warned Kyiv’s residents at 6:38am this morning.

Various buildings have been broken within the assault, which to the Ukrainian facet is demonstrative of Russia’s perspective in the direction of peace.

The area’s navy administration stated: “Yet one more enemy drone assault on Kyiv Oblast in a single day. Air defence items had been responding within the oblast. Some enemy targets have been shot down.

“The autumn of Russian drone particles within the Bila Tserkva district has broken an administrative constructing, a store, a non-operational group arts centre and an academic establishment.”

A gathering between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin is “imminent”, based on White Home aide Sebastian Gorka.

Mr Gorka, a protracted an ally of the US president who serves as his deputy assistant and as a senior director for counter-terrorism, harassed the significance of “halting the bloodshed” as a vital spherical of diplomacy begins in Turkey.

“Offers are all about timing. When the time is correct, that’s when the president is within the room with Putin,” Mr Gorka stated at a Safety Summit, based on Politico.

He stated that the second is “imminent”, with out giving particulars on what that may imply.

Ukraine and Russia are set to carry their first face-to-face peace negotiations in three years, with discussions anticipated to happen in Istanbul throughout a number of codecs.

A supply from the Turkish overseas ministry confirmed that talks would unfold in “completely different codecs”, with trilateral conferences between Ukraine, Russia and Turkey scheduled. Separate discussions involving america, Ukraine and Turkey are additionally into account, reported the Telegraph.

“It has not been finalised whether or not there shall be a quadrilateral format,” the supply added, indicating {that a} four-way assembly stays unsure at this stage.

The upcoming talks are being carefully watched, although hopes for a big breakthrough stay low.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio stated on Thursday, “Washington didn’t have excessive expectations” for the negotiations.

Turkey will participate in two trilateral conferences immediately in Istanbul as a part of renewed diplomatic efforts to finish the struggle in Ukraine, Turkish overseas ministry sources advised Reuters.

A gathering between Turkish, US and Ukrainian officers is scheduled to happen at 07.45am GMT, adopted by talks between Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian delegations at 09.30am GMT, the sources stated.

UK prime minister Keir Starmer has stated Vladimir Putin “should pay the worth for avoiding peace”.

In a press release forward of European Political Group (EPC) summit in Albania on Friday, he stated: “Putin’s ways to dither and delay, whereas persevering with to kill and trigger bloodshed throughout Ukraine, (are) insupportable.”

The EPC members are anticipated to mount stress on the Kremlin, with Sir Keir saying: “A full, unconditional ceasefire should be agreed and if Russia is unwilling to return to the negotiating desk, Putin should pay the worth.”

Ukraine misplaced an F-16 fighter jet on Friday morning after an incident on board, although the pilot ejected safely, the Ukrainian air power stated in a press release.

“An uncommon state of affairs arose on board. The pilot moved the plane away from the settlement and efficiently ejected,” it stated on Telegram, with out giving particulars.

The air power stated the pilot was feeling wonderful.

It indicated that the crash didn’t look like the results of Russian hearth and {that a} fee had been appointed to analyze all circumstances of the incident.

The crash is the second involving an F-16 since Kyiv started receiving the fighter jets from US allies final yr as a part of a programme accredited by the administration of former US president Joe Biden.

In late August 2024, an F-16 crashed and its pilot died whereas repelling a significant Russian air strike.

Ukraine doesn’t disclose the variety of plane it has acquired.

Pope Leo XIV met on the Vatican with the pinnacle of the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine on Thursday, in one in all his first audiences as pontiff that reaffirmed his attraction for a peaceable, negotiated finish to Russia’s struggle.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk stated he invited Leo to go to Ukraine and introduced the pope with an inventory of prisoners held by Russia.

The Vatican below Pope Francis had labored for prisoner exchanges, in addition to for the return of Ukrainian youngsters taken to dwell in Russian-occupied territories.

The Vatican didn’t launch any assertion after the viewers, one of many first personal audiences held by Leo since his election on 8 Might.

In his first Sunday midday blessing as pope, and once more throughout an viewers with pilgrims from jap ceremony church buildings this week, Leo has appealed for an finish to the struggle and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian individuals.

The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, stated it was “untimely” to consider a potential papal go to to Kyiv, which Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky had additionally prompt throughout a primary telephone name with Leo on Monday.

The Vatican has a practice of diplomatic neutrality. Leo has vowed “each effort” to attempt to carry Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating desk.

As soon as they begin, the talks must handle a chasm between the 2 sides over a number of points.

Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky is a former tradition minister who has overseen the rewriting of historical past textbooks to replicate Moscow’s narrative on the struggle.

It features a deputy defence minister, a deputy overseas minister and the pinnacle of navy intelligence.

Key members of the workforce, together with its chief, had been additionally concerned within the final direct peace talks in Istanbul in March 2022 – and Mr Medinsky confirmed on Thursday that Russia noticed the brand new talks as a resumption of these interrupted three years in the past.

“The duty of direct negotiations with the Ukrainian facet is ultimately to realize long-term peace by eliminating the essential root causes of the battle,” stated Mr Medinsky.

The phrases below dialogue in 2022, when Ukraine was nonetheless reeling from Russia’s preliminary invasion, could be deeply disadvantageous to Kyiv. They included a requirement by Moscow for giant cuts to the dimensions of Ukraine’s navy.

With Russian forces now in command of near a fifth of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has held quick to his longstanding calls for for Kyiv to cede territory, abandon its Nato membership ambitions and turn out to be a impartial nation.

Ukraine rejects these phrases as tantamount to capitulation, and is looking for ensures of its future safety from world powers, particularly america.

Russia and Ukraine have been wrestling for months over the logistics of ceasefires and peace talks whereas attempting to point out Donald Trump they’re severe about looking for an finish what he calls “this silly struggle”.

Tons of of hundreds have been killed and wounded on each side within the deadliest battle in Europe since World Battle 2. Washington has threatened repeatedly to desert its mediation efforts until there’s clear progress.

Requested if Vladimir Putin would be a part of talks at some future level, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated: “What sort of participation shall be required additional, at what stage, it’s too early to say now.”

Russia stated on Thursday its forces had captured two extra settlements in Ukraine’s Donetsk area.

A spokesperson for Russian overseas minister Sergei Lavrov pointedly reminded reporters of his remark final yr that Ukraine was “getting smaller” within the absence of an settlement to cease preventing.