Author: Anadolu Agency

A large-scale prisoner exchange involving 1,000 captives each from Ukraine and Russia may take place next week, Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said Saturday following peace negotiations in Istanbul. “I hope it will happen next week,” Budanov told Ukrainian broadcaster TSN. “There will be an exchange — whoever we can take, we will take. And give it back in the same way,” he said, that was cited by Interfax-Ukraine. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov also confirmed after the meeting that both sides agreed in principle on the format and timing of the exchange. “We know the date, but we won’t…

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday praised the growing momentum in Türkiye-Saudi Arabia relations, calling it a product of the “vision put forward by our leaders.” “We are pleased with the momentum gained in the sincere and close cooperation between our countries, which are two important actors in our region and the Islamic world, based on the vision put forward by our leaders,” Fidan said during the second meeting of the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council — a key diplomatic forum aimed at strengthening political, economic, and strategic cooperation — in Riyadh. Fidan met his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan…

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said his country expects reciprocity from the US concerning respect for each other’s national interests. “Americans, the American people and the American leadership, including the president, have their own national interests, and we respect that. We assume that we will be treated in the same way,” Putin said in an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, an excerpt of which was shared on Telegram. The remarks came as US President Donald Trump plans to speak with both Putin and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to push for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump’s announcement…

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Saturday in Rome to discuss the wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, nuclear talks with Iran and relations. A statement by the Italian Foreign Ministry said Tajani held talks with Rubio, who was in Rome to attend Pope Leo XIV’s papal inauguration ceremony, at the state guesthouse Villa Madama. On the Ukraine war, Tajani reaffirmed Rome’s commitment to working for a just and lasting peace. He said the government supports US mediation efforts and advocates an immediate and unconditional 30-day ceasefire as a short-term goal. Italy…

The Israeli army began a “broad ground operation” in the war-torn Gaza Strip, the military said on Sunday. “Over the past day, IDF (army) troops in the Southern Command, both the standing army and reserves, began a broad ground operation throughout the northern and southern Gaza Strip, as part of the start of Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” the army said in a statement. Military spokesman Avichay Adraee said the army intensified attacks in Gaza in the past days, hitting more than 670 Hamas targets “to disrupt the enemy’s preparations and assist the ground operation.” The Israeli army intensified air assaults on…

Spanish state broadcaster, RTVE, aired a message Saturday in support of Palestine ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland. It demanded “peace and justice for Palestine” and criticized the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for threatening sanctions. Before transitioning to the live broadcast of the competition, RTVE displayed a message in Spanish and English that read: “When it comes to human rights, silence is not an option. Peace and justice for Palestine.” The gesture gained widespread support on social media. RTVE referenced Israel’s killing of more than 50,000 victims in the Gaza Strip during the contest’s second semifinal, prompting a…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday emphasized the need to increase pressure on Russia to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, following talks with top US officials in Rome. Zelenskyy said in a statement on X that he had a “good meeting” with US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Rome, during which he said they discussed the direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv held in Istanbul on Friday. “I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and underscored the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon…

US President Donald Trump is actively pursuing a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to advance Ukraine peace efforts “as soon as feasible,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview set to be aired on Sunday on CBS News’ Face the Nation. “The president wants to do it. He wants to do it as soon as feasible,” Rubio told host Margaret Brennan, adding that such high-level engagement might represent the only path through solving the Russia-Ukraine war. “One of the things that could help break this logjam, perhaps the only thing that can, is a direct…

Over 100,000 people rallied in The Hague on Sunday to denounce the Dutch government’s stance on Israel and the war in Gaza, in what organizers say was the country’s largest protest in 20 years. The demonstration, which took place at Malieveld Square, was coordinated by a wide alliance of international and local NGOs under the banner “Draw the Red Line for Gaza.” According to official records, more than 70,000 people attended the demonstration, while Oxfam Novib, one of the organizing NGOs, reported the number as 100,000. Speakers at the protest emphasized that hundreds of people have died of starvation in…

Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani said Saturday that Israel’s violations against his country’s sovereignty pose a “threat to regional stability,” while praising the “effective mediation” efforts by Türkiye and Saudi Arabia to lift US sanctions on Syria. Speaking at the 34th Arab League Summit in Baghdad, Shaibani expressed Damascus’ hope for “a unified Arab position” in support of Syria’s right to regain full sovereignty over all its territory. He described Israel’s threats and violations in southern Syria as “a blatant breach of international law and the basic principles of the UN Charter, and a threat to regional stability.” Shaibani reaffirmed…