As U.S. officials continue to push for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, five Ukrainian territories have emerged as a central focus — and sticking point — in the negotiations. “This peace deal is about these so-called five territories,” U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said in comments to Fox News
"Those behind this attack will not escape justice. Responsibility is also shared by everyone working for Kremlin's criminal regime, including Russian diplomats," Lithuania's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"We appreciate Somalia's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
The closed-door consultations lasted approximately six hours.
Two Romanian diplomats were ordered to leave Russia on April 9 in response to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Romania in March.
"These are Ukrainian territories ... this is one of the main red lines for us, in any case, this is a temporary occupation of territories," Zelensky said.
After Ukrainian and U.S. officials met in Saudi Arabia for peace deal talks to end the war with Russia, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on March 12 that potential "territorial concessions" from Ukraine were part of the discussion. Since U.S. President Donald Trump was inaugurated
The British Embassy denied the allegations as "completely baseless," independent outlet Meduza reported, citing the Embassy's spokesperson.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced his delegation to represent Ukraine in upcoming talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia on March 8.
"The agenda is clear – peace as soon as possible, security as reliable as possible. Ukraine is committed to the most constructive approach," Zelensky said on March 7.
Romania said on March 5 that it had expelled Russian military attache Victor Makovskiy and his deputy, Evgeny Ignatiev, for breaching diplomatic rules of conduct.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on March 6 appointing Alexander Darchiev as Russia's new ambassador to Washington.
Alexander Darchiev, a veteran diplomat with a half-decade of experience in Washington, previously served as Russia's ambassador to Canada from 2014 to 2021 and later as the director of the North American Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"The United States raised concerns regarding access to banking and contracted services as well as the need to ensure stable and sustainable staffing levels at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow," the U.S. State Department said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Ireland for its support of Ukrainians who fled Russia's full-scale invasion.
Donald Trump is elected U.S. president after criticizing a war abroad and calling for its end. He negotiates a deal with an adversary of the United States under heavy sanctions, cutting an ally out of their own country’s peace talks. The disastrous deal is viewed as a surrender
The informal meetings were described as "track two meetings," a type of unofficial diplomacy meant to lower tension, three unnamed sources told Reuters.
"Both sides expressed a mutual willingness to engage on key international issues, including the situation in Ukraine," the readout from the Russian Foreign Ministry read. "Lavrov and Rubio reaffirmed their readiness to work together to restore a mutually respectful interstate dialogue in line with the tone set by the presidents."
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the meeting focused on "the activities of foreign agencies." The last reported meeting of this kind was in December 2022.
Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, said on Feb. 8 that the preparations for the exhumation of remains of Polish victims of the Volyn tragedy are underway.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Marco Rubio as the next secretary of state by a rare bipartisan consensus on Jan. 20.
The charter establishes a framework for expanded bilateral cooperation between the U.S. and Armenia in the areas of economic cooperation, security and defense, and democracy.
Poland closed its consulate building in St. Petersburg after 53 years. The decision follows Warsaw's order to close a Russian consulate in the Polish city of Poznan last year after accusing Moscow of sabotage plots.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed Kyiv's position on Russia's military presence in Syria to leaders of the new Syrian administration during a diplomatic visit to Damascus on Dec. 30, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said at an online meeting attended by the Kyiv Independent.
Editor's note: This article is a special edition of the KI Insights' The Week Ahead newsletter, looking at challenges and opportunities facing Ukraine in 2025. 2025 is gearing up to be a decisive year for Ukraine. The country’s leadership will need to navigate a turbulent international landscape, as well
The embassies of Albania, Argentina, Palestine, North Macedonia, Portugal and Montenegro are located in a building that was heavily damaged by the Russian attack.
"Their statements during this visit about opposing colonialism, made on Ukrainian land illegally seized by Russia in the course of its neocolonial war of aggression against Ukraine, are completely absurd," the Foreign Ministry said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is also visiting Malta to address the plenary session of the OSCE meeting. Ukraine's chief diplomat left the hall before the start of Lavrov's speech, calling him a "war criminal."
"We cannot spend dozens of thousands of our people so that they perish for the sake of Crimea coming back ... We understand that Crimea can be brought back diplomatically," Zelensky told Fox News.
Despite warnings from some analysts ahead of the U.S. elections that a win by the Republican nominee Donald Trump could become a “worst-case scenario” for Ukraine, the mood in Kyiv after his victory was far more mixed. Some Ukrainians are optimistic that the president-elect could improve Kyiv’s standing
Ukraine must do everything possible to end the war through diplomatic means, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a wide-ranging interview with Suspilne broadcast on Nov. 16.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Chinese President Xi Jinping plan discuss the war in Ukraine and involvement of North Korean troops in the fighting during the upcoming G20 Summit in Brazil next week, German media reported on Nov. 15.
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