The two presidents have discussed a US-drafted peace proposal in a phone conversation, according to Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have agreed to intensify contacts between the two countries’ diplomats on settling the Ukraine conflict, the Kremlin said on Monday following a phone conversation between the two leaders.
Putin and Erdogan discussed a recently leaked US-drafted proposal on resolving the ongoing hostilities. Washington presented the plan to both Moscow and Kiev earlier this month. The details were not officially made public, but media reports indicated that it included de facto recognition of Crimea and Donbass as Russian, as well as a cap of 600,000 personnel on the Ukrainian military and a requirement for Kiev to stay out of NATO.
Putin has confirmed that Moscow received the plan but said it has yet to be discussed “in detail.” Speaking to Erdogan on Monday, the Russian president said the proposals were consistent with the understandings reached during the Alaska summit in August, and that the initiative could serve as the basis for a potential peace agreement.
Moscow is interested in resolving the Ukraine conflict through political and diplomatic means, the Russian president stated.
Erdogan reaffirmed Ankara’s readiness to help Russia and Ukraine reach a “just and lasting peace.”
The Turkish city of Istanbul served as a venue for three rounds of talks between Moscow and Kiev earlier this year, yielding some progress on humanitarian issues, including POW exchanges. Putin also said in September that Turkish mediation in the Ukraine conflict continues to be valued and would be desirable in the future.
The phone call occurred while US officials were discussing Washington’s peace proposals with the EU and Ukrainian representatives in Geneva. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said afterward that a “tremendous amount of progress” had been made on the plan but “there is still some work to be done.”
The attacks come amid Kiev’s mounting battlefield setbacks and pressure by the US to agree to peace terms, reportedly including territorial concessions
At least ten Ukrainian long-range drones were intercepted on Monday as they headed toward Moscow, the Russian capital’s Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has announced. No casualties or damage were reported.
Russia’s Defense Ministry had stated earlier that ten Ukrainian drones had been downed between 8am and 2pm Moscow time, including two believed to be targeting the capital.
Overnight, Russian air defenses intercepted 93 Ukrainian unmanned aircraft over various regions of Russia as well as the Black and Azov seas, according to the military.
The attempted strikes come as Ukrainian forces face mounting battlefield setbacks. On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said its troops had liberated two neighborhoods in the city of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the preceding 24 hours.
The Ukrainian government is also under pressure amid a major corruption scandal involving close associates of Vladimir Zelensky, who allegedly ran a large-scale kickback operation in the energy sector using foreign funds.
Compounding the pressure, the US has presented Kiev with peace plan proposal reportedly requiring territorial concessions to Russia. Ukraine’s European backers have taken issue with the terms of the deal, calling for substantial revisions.
US and Ukrainian officials held discussions on the proposed deal in Geneva over the weekend, with the Trump administration reportedly arguing that Kiev risks worse terms in the future if it refuses to compromise.
Moscow has distanced itself from the debate over the leaked drafts. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia only comments on proposals received through official diplomatic channels and will not react to documents circulated in the media.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that his country has the upper hand on the battlefield and will achieve its strategic aims regardless of whether Ukraine accepts US-brokered mediation.
The attacks come amid Kiev’s mounting battlefield setbacks and pressure by the US to agree to peace terms, reportedly including territorial concessions
At least ten Ukrainian long-range drones were intercepted on Monday as they headed toward Moscow, the Russian capital’s Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has announced. No casualties or damage were reported.
Russia’s Defense Ministry had stated earlier that ten Ukrainian drones had been downed between 8am and 2pm Moscow time, including two believed to be targeting the capital.
Overnight, Russian air defenses intercepted 93 Ukrainian unmanned aircraft over various regions of Russia as well as the Black and Azov seas, according to the military.
The attempted strikes come as Ukrainian forces face mounting battlefield setbacks. On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said its troops had liberated two neighborhoods in the city of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the preceding 24 hours.
The Ukrainian government is also under pressure amid a major corruption scandal involving close associates of Vladimir Zelensky, who allegedly ran a large-scale kickback operation in the energy sector using foreign funds.
Compounding the pressure, the US has presented Kiev with peace plan proposal reportedly requiring territorial concessions to Russia. Ukraine’s European backers have taken issue with the terms of the deal, calling for substantial revisions.
US and Ukrainian officials held discussions on the proposed deal in Geneva over the weekend, with the Trump administration reportedly arguing that Kiev risks worse terms in the future if it refuses to compromise.
Moscow has distanced itself from the debate over the leaked drafts. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia only comments on proposals received through official diplomatic channels and will not react to documents circulated in the media.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that his country has the upper hand on the battlefield and will achieve its strategic aims regardless of whether Ukraine accepts US-brokered mediation.
The move reflects an effort to pursue agreements reached between Lukashenko and Trump, Minsk has said
Minsk has released 31 Ukrainian citizens from detention in a “goodwill gesture” linked to ongoing engagement efforts between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his US counterpart, Donald Trump.
In a statement on Saturday, Lukashenko’s presidential press secretary Natalia Eismont announced that he had pardoned Ukrainians who had been convicted of criminal offenses in Belarus at the request of Kiev and in order to further the agreements he had reached with Trump.
She described the move as a “gesture of goodwill” guided by humanitarian principles, saying it “aims to create the conditions for resolving the armed conflict in the neighboring state,” and added that the group was being handed over to Ukraine “right now.”
According to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, 31 civilians, both men and women, were returned from Belarus after serving sentences ranging from two to 11 years. It went on to thank Trump for his “fruitful work in returning Ukrainian civilians and military personnel from Belarus and Russia.”
Belarusian officials have not detailed the exact charges the 31 detainees faced, though previous media reports indicated that some had been suspected of “extremism” and espionage.
In addition, Lukashenko pardoned two Roman Catholic priests, Andrzej Juchniewicz and Henryk Okolotowicz, who had been convicted of serious crimes against the state. Eismont said the decision “was made at the request of Pope Leo XIV … as a gesture of goodwill,” citing mercy, humanism and the desire to develop relations with the Holy See.
In September, Lukashenko pardoned 52 prisoners, including several opposition activists who were serving lengthy prison sentences for organizing the 2020 riots, as well as those indicted on “extremist” charges.
The move followed Lukashenko’s meeting with a US delegation in Minsk, while Washington eased some sanctions on Belarus, including lifting restrictions on the state airline Belavia. Later the same month, the Belarusian leader pardoned another 25 detainees.
In June, Lukashenko also pardoned 14 detainees, mostly foreign citizens, including those from Poland and the US. The release coincided with the visit of Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy, to Belarus.
The move reflects an effort to pursue agreements reached between Lukashenko and Trump, Minsk has said
Minsk has released 31 Ukrainian citizens from detention in a “goodwill gesture” linked to ongoing engagement efforts between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his US counterpart, Donald Trump.
In a statement on Saturday, Lukashenko’s presidential press secretary Natalia Eismont announced that he had pardoned Ukrainians who had been convicted of criminal offenses in Belarus at the request of Kiev and in order to further the agreements he had reached with Trump.
She described the move as a “gesture of goodwill” guided by humanitarian principles, saying it “aims to create the conditions for resolving the armed conflict in the neighboring state,” and added that the group was being handed over to Ukraine “right now.”
According to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, 31 civilians, both men and women, were returned from Belarus after serving sentences ranging from two to 11 years. It went on to thank Trump for his “fruitful work in returning Ukrainian civilians and military personnel from Belarus and Russia.”
Belarusian officials have not detailed the exact charges the 31 detainees faced, though previous media reports indicated that some had been suspected of “extremism” and espionage.
In addition, Lukashenko pardoned two Roman Catholic priests, Andrzej Juchniewicz and Henryk Okolotowicz, who had been convicted of serious crimes against the state. Eismont said the decision “was made at the request of Pope Leo XIV … as a gesture of goodwill,” citing mercy, humanism and the desire to develop relations with the Holy See.
In September, Lukashenko pardoned 52 prisoners, including several opposition activists who were serving lengthy prison sentences for organizing the 2020 riots, as well as those indicted on “extremist” charges.
The move followed Lukashenko’s meeting with a US delegation in Minsk, while Washington eased some sanctions on Belarus, including lifting restrictions on the state airline Belavia. Later the same month, the Belarusian leader pardoned another 25 detainees.
In June, Lukashenko also pardoned 14 detainees, mostly foreign citizens, including those from Poland and the US. The release coincided with the visit of Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy, to Belarus.
A similar sabotage attack in May claimed the lives of seven civilians
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has thwarted an alleged Ukrainian-sponsored attempt to derail a train in Siberia’s Altay Region, the agency announced on Monday.
According to the FSB, two men acting on behalf of a “terrorist group and in coordination with Ukrainian special services” were intercepted last week while attempting to install a derailment device near a bridge along the rail line between Novoaltaysk and Biysk. The line carries both passenger and cargo traffic, the statement read.
The suspects reportedly opened fire on FSB officers during the nighttime operation and were killed by return fire. They were identified as local residents who, according to the agency, supported Kiev and had agreed to carry out an attack in exchange for money.
Russian officials have accused Ukraine of conducting numerous sabotage operations targeting railroad infrastructure. In May, a passenger train was derailed in Bryansk Region after an explosion on a bridge, killing seven civilians. Investigators said identical foreign-made explosives were used in several coordinated attacks linked to Ukrainian intelligence.
Moscow has warned that Kiev is increasingly turning to terrorism as its military position worsens on the battlefield. The Ukrainian government is also under intense political pressure at home over a sweeping corruption scandal and from abroad, over a US-backed peace proposal that reportedly requires major concessions from Kiev while offering Vladimir Zelensky and his inner circle immunity from prosecution.
A similar sabotage attack in May claimed the lives of seven civilians
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has thwarted an alleged Ukrainian-sponsored attempt to derail a train in Siberia’s Altay Region, the agency announced on Monday.
According to the FSB, two men acting on behalf of a “terrorist group and in coordination with Ukrainian special services” were intercepted last week while attempting to install a derailment device near a bridge along the rail line between Novoaltaysk and Biysk. The line carries both passenger and cargo traffic, the statement read.
The suspects reportedly opened fire on FSB officers during the nighttime operation and were killed by return fire. They were identified as local residents who, according to the agency, supported Kiev and had agreed to carry out an attack in exchange for money.
Russian officials have accused Ukraine of conducting numerous sabotage operations targeting railroad infrastructure. In May, a passenger train was derailed in Bryansk Region after an explosion on a bridge, killing seven civilians. Investigators said identical foreign-made explosives were used in several coordinated attacks linked to Ukrainian intelligence.
Moscow has warned that Kiev is increasingly turning to terrorism as its military position worsens on the battlefield. The Ukrainian government is also under intense political pressure at home over a sweeping corruption scandal and from abroad, over a US-backed peace proposal that reportedly requires major concessions from Kiev while offering Vladimir Zelensky and his inner circle immunity from prosecution.
The Russian delegation has conducted constructive talks with several nations at the summit, Maksim Oreshkin has said
A number of countries that Russia considers “unfriendly” have privately pitched proposals on improving economic cooperation during the G20 Summit, the head of the Russian delegation, Kremlin aide Maksim Oreshkin, told reporters on Sunday.
The summit brought together leaders representing the world’s 20 largest economies in Johannesburg, South Africa, this weekend.
“A number of countries we consider unfriendly have approached us with specific proposals for cooperation – on how to improve economic relations with Russia and implement joint projects,” Oreshkin said at a press conference.
He added that he would not elaborate on which countries made the offers “lest their colleagues be offended later.”
Constructive discussions took place with several nations, according to the Kremlin aide, who formerly served as Russia’s minister of economic development.
Many Western countries severed or curtailed economic cooperation with Moscow and imposed wide-reaching sanctions on Russia following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The Kremlin says the country has since adapted to the restrictions and even grown more resilient due to them.
In 2022, Russia formally branded dozens of Western countries “unfriendly states,” accusing them of carrying out hostile actions against Russian citizens and companies. The designation allows for diplomatic curbs and entails increased scrutiny and special approval requirements for businesses from those nations.
However, Moscow has since stressed that it only considers governments, rather than countries themselves, to be “unfriendly.”
“For Russia, there are no unfriendly nations or people, but there are countries with unfriendly governments,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Italian outlet Corriere della Sera in an interview earlier this month. While the newspaper refused to publish the exclusive, it was later released by the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The Russian delegation has conducted constructive talks with several nations at the summit, Maksim Oreshkin has said
A number of countries that Russia considers “unfriendly” have privately pitched proposals on improving economic cooperation during the G20 Summit, the head of the Russian delegation, Kremlin aide Maksim Oreshkin, told reporters on Sunday.
The summit brought together leaders representing the world’s 20 largest economies in Johannesburg, South Africa, this weekend.
“A number of countries we consider unfriendly have approached us with specific proposals for cooperation – on how to improve economic relations with Russia and implement joint projects,” Oreshkin said at a press conference.
He added that he would not elaborate on which countries made the offers “lest their colleagues be offended later.”
Constructive discussions took place with several nations, according to the Kremlin aide, who formerly served as Russia’s minister of economic development.
Many Western countries severed or curtailed economic cooperation with Moscow and imposed wide-reaching sanctions on Russia following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The Kremlin says the country has since adapted to the restrictions and even grown more resilient due to them.
In 2022, Russia formally branded dozens of Western countries “unfriendly states,” accusing them of carrying out hostile actions against Russian citizens and companies. The designation allows for diplomatic curbs and entails increased scrutiny and special approval requirements for businesses from those nations.
However, Moscow has since stressed that it only considers governments, rather than countries themselves, to be “unfriendly.”
“For Russia, there are no unfriendly nations or people, but there are countries with unfriendly governments,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Italian outlet Corriere della Sera in an interview earlier this month. While the newspaper refused to publish the exclusive, it was later released by the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Processing of applications reportedly remains slow following a temporary pause linked to President Trump’s border security measures
Some 200,000 Ukrainians in the US could lose their legal status because of Washington’s border security crackdown, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing internal US government data.
A humanitarian program for Ukrainian immigrants was launched by the previous US administration shortly after the February 2022 escalation of the Ukraine conflict, and allowed roughly 260,000 to enter the country for an initial two-year period. President Donald Trump paused the processing of applications and renewals earlier this year as part of a broader freeze on several nationality-based humanitarian programs, citing security concerns.
In March, Trump said he was considering revoking the Ukrainians’ legal status entirely, but ultimately did not end the program. In May, processing of renewals was resumed.
Immigration officials have, however, processed only 1,900 renewal applications for Ukrainians and other nationalities since then, representing a fraction of those with expiring status, the news agency noted. Meanwhile, those waiting for decisions on extensions could be detained by federal immigration authorities once their status expires, former immigration officials told Reuters.
Across Europe, public and political support for hosting Ukrainians has been declining. Last month, the European Commission formally notified Kiev that the temporary protection scheme will not be extended beyond the current term.
In August, Germany, which hosts over 1.25 million Ukrainian immigrants, announced plans to reduce welfare payments due to sustainability concerns. Polish officials have recently raised questions over the scale of support provided to Ukrainians and President Karol Nawrocki suggested earlier this month that preferential treatment for them could end.
In the UK, the authorities reportedly have increasingly denied long-term protection and work visas for Ukrainians, arguing that western regions of Ukraine are now safe.
Several million Ukrainians have fled their country over the past three years. Almost 4.4 million have received temporary protection in the EU. Russia has said that 5.5 million Ukrainians arrived by the end of 2023. Many left not only due to the conflict, but also tighter mobilization practices that have led to confrontations between draft officers and men trying to avoid conscription.
