Germany's accusations against Russia over the drones at Leipzig airport represent "the beginning of a real war", says Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov. Meanwhile, the talks between Vladimir Putin, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been defined as "extremely frank". The 72 hour truce begins. Talks have begun in Kiev between Zelensky and Donald Trump's envoys, on their first official visit to the Ukrainian capital after repeated missions to Moscow.
Yesterday's meeting between Vladimir Putin and the special envoys of US President Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner was "constructive and frank". “The conversation lasted three hours and 10 minutes, it was meaningful, constructive, extremely frank and confidential,” Yuri Ushakov, a Russian presidential adviser who attended the meeting, told reporters. Witkoff and Kushner traveled to Moscow on behalf of the US president "to continue dialogue on resolving the crisis in Ukraine and discuss other relevant issues", Ushakov reported, specifying that it was their eighth visit to Russia.
Meanwhile, despite the 72-hour truce in the capitals, coinciding with the diplomatic mission, the night was a fiery one in the Zaporizhzhia region: 54 settlements hit, one dead and 25 injured. Ukrainian drones hit a Russian refinery in Ryazan. Today Witkoff and Kushner will be in Ukraine for the first time at Zelensky's.
Russian Minister Lavrov: "The West's accusations that Moscow was involved in the drone accident in Leipzig constitute, to a large extent, the beginning of a real war."
There is "a climate of trust" between Russia and the United States which is being strengthened through the open communication channel between the two sides. This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the more than three-hour conversation Russian President Vladimir Putin had yesterday with Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The national security advisors of France, Germany and Great Britain are in Kiev, where the American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived today. This was reported by the Reuters agency, after the announcement made by the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Kirill Budanov, on the presence of envoys from the three countries. "Representatives of our European partners: France, the United Kingdom and Germany are also in Kiev. We are all working together to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine," Budanov wrote on Telegram.
Ukraine has protested against the new world map promoted by the UN because it represents the Russian-occupied Crimea in a different color than the rest of the Ukrainian territory. Kiev officially called the representation of the peninsula in the new map "completely unacceptable".
At least three civilians have died and four others have been injured in Ukrainian attacks carried out in the last 24 hours against the Russian region of Belgorod. The Russian Defense Ministry also announced that in the last 12 hours it had intercepted 258 Ukrainian drones over various regions of the country, Crimea and the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
“After discussing with US envoys how to achieve peace in Putin's war against Ukraine, Putin once again stated that the most important thing is to eliminate the 'root causes' of the war. The 'root causes' of the war are Putin himself,” European Commissioner Andrius Kubilius writes in X.
Talks have begun in Kiev between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. “Negotiations have begun,” Zelensky wrote on
Although the suspension of attacks on Kiev announced yesterday by President Vladimir Putin remains in force, bombing by missiles, drones and Russian aviation on other regions of Ukraine continues. The Russian Defense Ministry said Russian forces had struck transport and logistics infrastructure in 144 areas of Ukraine in the past 24 hours.
A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump could take place on the sidelines of the Apec summit, "if the opportunity arises", Yuri Ushakov said.
"We are ready for discussion. Ukraine has always been and will continue to be constructive", declared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after gathering the negotiating team this morning ahead of the meeting with Donald Trump's envoys.
