Russia and Ukraine held brief peace talks, but the warring countries remain far apart with little progress made.
Officials met in Istanbul for around 40 minutes, and agreed on issues including prisoner exchanges and improved communication. But Kyiv wants a full ceasefire before discussing long-term peace plans, while Moscow wants terms agreed before stopping its attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is under pressure after signing a bill that would strip independence from anti-corruption agencies, drawing widespread protests for the first time since the Russian invasion in 2022 — before appearing to backtrack on the law Thursday.
The move had raised concerns that Ukraine would revert to “the corrupt, autocratic system it once sought to escape,” The Economist wrote, and make it harder for Western politicians to argue that its cause is worth fighting for.