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Zuma and Thales continue on their losing streak
Zuma and Thales continue on their losing streak

The Herald

time3 days ago

  • Business
  • The Herald

Zuma and Thales continue on their losing streak

French company Thales and co-accused, former president Jacob Zuma, have lost their bid to have the arms-deal related corruption trial against them stopped. However, followers of this long saga should not hold their breath. Both indicated on Tuesday they would consider appealing the ruling made by Pietermaritzburg high court judge Nkosinathi Chili, and new trial dates, possibly only in the second half of 2026, will be determined in December this year when the parties appear in court again. Earlier this year Chili heard an application by Thales that it would not get a fair trial because key witnesses, including former company executives Pierre Moynot and Alain Thetard, had died. It was submitted that because of this Thales would not be able to adduce and challenge evidence. Zuma piggybacked on the application, saying if the prosecution was halted against Thales then he should also be acquitted for similar reasons. However, on Tuesday Chili dismissed the applications. In essence, he said if there was any trial prejudice, that should be dealt with and assessed by the trial court. He said the court could 'only shut the door' on the prosecution's legal right to prosecute if an accused could show exceptional circumstances and the court was satisfied the accused would suffer irreparable and insurmountable trial prejudice. Thales had failed to do so and had, instead, relied on 'hypothetical prejudice'. He also noted Thales had changed tack, in particular to the issue of Thetard. In its (failed) 2018 application for a permanent stay, it had said Thetard was not prepared to assist in the matter in any forum in any way. Now it claimed it was prejudiced because he had died. 'It would have been expected Thales would have put up evidence to indicate at a certain point of time he (Thetard) had changed his mind (about giving evidence). Without such evidence, one is inclined to conclude it conveniently moved the goalposts to bolster its case,' Chili said.

US Defense & AI Companies Poised To Dominate Middle East Spending Wave
US Defense & AI Companies Poised To Dominate Middle East Spending Wave

Forbes

time19-05-2025

  • Business
  • Forbes

US Defense & AI Companies Poised To Dominate Middle East Spending Wave

Map of the Middle East with Saudi Arabia in focus with bullets draped across President Donald Trump's first overseas trip since returning to the White House turned a lot of heads across the aerospace & defense and semiconductor industries last week. Over the course of just a few days, he visited three key Persian Gulf states—Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—where a cascade of economic agreements potentially totaling in the trillions of dollars was unveiled. One of the marquee announcements was a $142 billion arms deal, part of a broader $600 billion commercial package between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. Touted by the White House as the 'largest defense sales agreement in history,' the deal includes 'state-of-the-art warfighting equipment' and services from more than a dozen American defense companies, though none are named. Saudi Arabia is already the largest U.S. foreign military sales (FMS) customer, with nearly 80% of its defense acquisitions coming from American companies. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Saudi Arabia spent more than $80 billion on defense in 2024, making it the seventh-largest military spender in the world and by far the largest in the Middle East. U.S. remains Saudi Arabia's largest supplier of arms The Saudis aren't alone. The UAE and Qatar have also made substantial defense purchases in recent months, including advanced drones, helicopters and counter-drone systems. As geopolitical uncertainty grows, Gulf nations are doubling down on deterrence, and they're looking to the U.S. for the tools to do it. One of the more striking takeaways from the trip might be the emergence of AI and semiconductors as critical assets in the defense toolkit. In Saudi Arabia, a new state-backed initiative called HUMAIN is leading a multibillion-dollar push to build an 'AI Zone,' in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The project, which will feature dedicated server farms powered by American semiconductors, is part of a broader effort to localize advanced tech manufacturing and training within the Kingdom. NVIDIA, the world's leading AI chipmaker, is expected to provide HUMAIN with at least 18,000 of its GB300 Grace Blackwell processors. Over the next five years, that number could reach several hundred thousand chips. Meanwhile, the UAE is negotiating for more than a million NVIDIA chips, enough to radically boost its own AI infrastructure. U.S. AI stocks surge on Trump's Middle East dealmaking Saudi Arabia's AI investments alone could generate $3 to $5 billion in annual chip sales, with longer-term infrastructure spending estimated at $15 to $20 billion, according to Bank of America analyst Vivek Arya. That would make sovereign AI one of the fastest-growing areas in the broader $450 billion AI infrastructure market. Aviation shouldn't be overlooked. In Qatar, Boeing signed its largest-ever widebody aircraft deal, a $96 billion order with Qatar Airways for up to 210 American-made jets. Powered by GE Aerospace engines, the order includes both the 787 Dreamliner and 777X platforms. This deal alone underscores the continued strategic value of aerospace as a core pillar of both economic and national security policy. Commercial aircraft deals often include co-production agreements, pilot training and maintenance support—capabilities that enhance soft power while reinforcing the industrial base. All of this comes against a backdrop of surging global military budgets. World defense spending hit a record $2.7 trillion in 2024, a 9.4% year-over-year increase and the sharpest rise since at least 1988, according to SIPRI. Spending has risen for 10 consecutive years, with gains across all five global regions. Global military spending hit a new record high of $2.7 trillion in 2024 Meanwhile, NATO is moving toward a new target of 5% of GDP for defense spending, up from the longstanding 2% benchmark. Both Germany and the U.S. have endorsed the increase, and the final plan is expected to be unveiled at the NATO summit this June. The world isn't de-escalating. It's rearming, with greater urgency, more advanced tools and higher price tags. I see these trends as a growing opportunity across multiple sectors—defense contractors, semiconductor makers, AI infrastructure providers and aerospace manufacturers. While individual names and strategies must be evaluated with care, the broader momentum is unmistakable.

US easing sanctions on Turkish defense sector
US easing sanctions on Turkish defense sector

Russia Today

time18-05-2025

  • Business
  • Russia Today

US easing sanctions on Turkish defense sector

The US is relaxing sanctions on Türkiye's defense industry and has approved a major arms deal, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced. In 2020, Washington imposed restrictions on Ankara under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in response to Türkiye's purchase of Russia's S-400 air defense missile system. Ankara repeatedly rejected calls to abandon the deal with Moscow, insisting on its sovereign right to choose its weapons suppliers. 'We can safely say that CAATSA sanctions are being eased,' Erdogan told reporters on Saturday, after returning from the European Political Community summit in Albania. He added that he had spoken with the new American ambassador to Türkiye, Tom Barrack. 'With my friend Trump taking office, we reached a more open, more constructive, more sincere communication,' he said. The easing of restrictions coincides with US approval of a potential missile sale worth over $300 million — a move Erdogan described as a step toward removing remaining barriers between the two NATO allies. 'As two major NATO allies, there should be no defense restrictions,' he said. During a phone call in March, Erdogan urged Trump to lift the sanctions, finalize a $23 billion deal for 40 F-16 fighter jets, and reinstate Türkiye in the F-35 fighter jet program. Ankara was removed from the project in 2019 over concerns that the Russian-made S-400 system could compromise the jet's security. Trump is reportedly open to Türkiye's return, provided the S-400 system is dismantled or relocated to a US-controlled base. Erdogan and Trump recently held another call, during which they discussed Syria, Gaza, and efforts to end the Ukraine conflict. Trump, who previously described his relationship with Erdogan as 'excellent,' called the conversation 'very good and productive.' Türkiye hosted the first direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations in three years on Friday in Istanbul, during which the two sides agreed to a large prisoner swap.

Ukraine-Russia war latest: US to reduce troops in Europe
Ukraine-Russia war latest: US to reduce troops in Europe

Times

time16-05-2025

  • Business
  • Times

Ukraine-Russia war latest: US to reduce troops in Europe

Ukraine has lost about $770 million paying foreign arms dealers for weapons and ammunition it has not received, according to the Financial Times. The newspaper, citing leaked government documents and interviews with officials, said the money was spent on advance fees for supplies which were either not delivered as promised or turned out to be unusable. It cited the example of a small ammunition business in Arizona, which was paid a $19 million advance as part of a $55 million contract for artillery shells that never arrived. The company denies any wrongdoing. Ukraine was attempting to recoup more than $300 million in lost fees by pursuing cases in international arbitration courts, while seeking to recover the rest in negotiations with suppliers, the FT reported. Ukrainian law enforcement agencies were also investigating potential corruption involving senior defence ministry officials, it was claimed. President Macron has poured cold water on the negotiations, saying it shows Russia is 'merely trying to buy time by continuing the war'. After speaking with President Trump on the phone, along with Sir Keir Starmer, President Zelensky and the leaders of Germany and Poland, Macron posed on X: 'Once again, President Putin refuses to respond to the unconditional ceasefire proposal put forward by the Americans and supported by Ukraine and the Europeans. 'By rejecting the ceasefire and dialogue with Ukraine, Russia shows it does not want peace and is merely trying to buy time by continuing the war.' By William Hague It was the portrait that said it all. Inspiring and flattering as Putin intended, President Trump received in March a painting of himself as a gift from the Russian leader. It was a 'beautiful portrait', said Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy, who dutifully brought it back from Moscow. The president was 'clearly touched by it'. In commissioning and sending such a gift, Putin showed he appreciated both the opportunity and the delicacy of the moment. Ever the KGB operative, he has been trained to find the weakness of an interlocutor and play on it. The agents he used to run in East Germany would each have had a weakness, which he would exploit in developing his hold over them. Some would need cash, some cigarettes, or perhaps human company. In the mix would be those who need flattery. • Read in full: Trump still buys Putin's picture of innocence America will begin discussions with European allies this year to reduce the number of troops stationed on the continent, the US ambassador to Nato said. 'It will be certainly after the [Hague Nato] summit, sometime later in the year, we are going to start those conversations', Matthew Whitaker said at a conference in Estonia. 'Nothing has been determined but as soon as we do, we are going to have these conversations in the structure of Nato', he added. While little in the way of concrete progress was achieved during the talks, many analysts have pointed out that the negotiations could have gone a lot worse. 'The largest single PoW exchange and an agreement to keep talking about ceasefire modalities — I would consider that 'better than expected' as an outcome for the first direct talks in three years,' Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the US think tank Rand, said. 'Also the sides demonstrated that they can talk without indirect mediation,' Charap added in a post on X, appearing to reference the fact that direct talks continued for almost two hours. It was also notable that a member of the Ukrainian delegation pointed out the 'tentative success' of the peace talks in this afternoon's press conference. There were a 'number of unacceptable things' Russia's delegation said during the talks, a Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman said. While he refused to give more details, he said he felt that Russian demands 'went beyond' what Moscow had previously asked for. While discussions on a ceasefire would continue, there needed to be 'more pressure on Moscow to make them more willing to [take] more steps', the spokesman added. The prisoner exchange agreed in Istanbul represented an 'important achievement', the Ukrainian delegation leader said. Rustem Umerov, the defence minister, spoke to reporters in an upbeat tone, adding that the two sides would now work on 'exchanging details' of a ceasefire. 'High-level discussions' between President Putin and President Zelensky should be the 'next step' Umerov stressed. Another member of the Ukrainian team said there had been 'tentative success' but that Kyiv should 'not relax at this point' and should'consolidate' this success. Earlier in the day, the secretary general of Nato said that President Putin had made a 'big mistake' by sending a junior delegation to Istanbul, instead of high-level officials. 'He knows extremely well that the ball is in his court, that he is in trouble, that he made a big mistake by sending this low-level delegation,' Mark Rutte told reporters in Albania at a meeting of European leaders who were expected to close ranks around Zelensky. 'I think all the pressure is now on Putin,' said Rutte said. 'The ball is clearly in his part of the field now, in his court. He has to play ball, he has to be serious about wanting peace.' Zelensky was to address the gathering's opening session. The head of Russia's delegation in Istanbul is reported to have said that 'Russia is prepared to fight forever' during negotiations. Vladimir Medinsky told the Ukrainian team that 'Russia is prepared to fight forever', according to the Economist's correspondent Oliver Carroll, who cited a 'well-placed source' in negotiations. 'We fought Sweden for 21 years. How long are you ready to fight?' Medinsky was said to have asked Ukrainian negotiators. 'And [the Russian emperor] Peter the Great … You know who financed him? England and France. Sweden would still be a great power today if not for that.' Russia and Ukraine have agreed 'in principle' to meet again, the Turkish foreign minister has said. Hakan Fidan said that Ankara would 'continue to make efforts to end the war'. Meanwhile, Moscow's delegation has travelled to the Russian embassy, the Times understands, where they are expected to address the press. The Russian team will then leave Istanbul for Moscow, according to the Tass news agency, making a resumption of talks later today unlikely. By Antonia Langford A former US ambassador to Ukraine has spoken out for the first time since resigning from her post in April amid rumours of a rift with the Trump administration. Bridget Brink wrote in the Detroit Free Press that she felt she could 'no longer in good faith carry out the administration's policy' to 'put pressure on the victim, Ukraine, rather than on the aggressor, Russia'. 'I cannot stand by while a country is invaded, a democracy bombarded, and children killed with impunity. I believe that the only way to secure US interests is to stand up for democracies and to stand against autocrats,' she added. An exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side of the Ukrainian-Russian war appears to be the only concrete result from today's talks. While this would represent the largest of such swaps since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, it is unlikely to satisfy those seeking an end to the conflict. Rustem Umerov, the Ukrainian defence minister, who has been heading Kyiv's delegation in Istanbul, said that a high-level meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky was discussed. Russian media, however, noted only that this request was 'taken into account' by Moscow's delegation lead, Vladimir Medinsky. Ukraine's main aim, to secure a 30-day ceasefire, also seems a long way off, with Medinsky saying Russia will only 'present their vision of a possible future ceasefire'. It is yet to be seen how President Trump has reacted to the progress, or lack thereof, made in Istanbul today. President Zelensky has said 'tough sanctions' should be imposed if Russia rejects 'a full and unconditional ceasefire'. As talks in Istanbul wound down and after speaking to President Trump over the phone, Zelensky wrote on X: 'Ukraine is ready to take the fastest possible steps to bring real peace and it is important that the world holds a strong stance. 'Our position: if the Russians reject a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings, tough sanctions must follow. Pressure on Russia must be maintained until Russia is ready to end the war.' Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Russia was 'generally satisfied' with the talks, the head of the Russian delegation said. Vladimir Medinsky told reporters: 'We are generally satisfied with the results we achieved in the negotiations and are ready to continue contacts. 'Russia and Ukraine will present their views on a possible ceasefire in detail, after which negotiations will continue.' He also confirmed an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from both sides was agreed. Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to President Trump, President Zelensky and other European leaders to discuss the talks in Istanbul. 'We just had a meeting with President Zelensky and then a phone call with President Trump to discuss the developments in the negotiations today,' the prime minister told reporters at a summit in Albania. 'And the Russian position is clearly unacceptable, and not for the first time. 'So as a result of that meeting with President Zelensky and that call with President Trump, we are now closely aligning our responses and will continue to do so.' A future meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky was discussed during the talks, the Ukrainian delegation leader said. Rustem Umerov, the defence minister, told reporters in Istanbul that a prisoner exchange of 1,000 soldiers from each side could soon take place. Potentially fresh negotiations would be announced shortly, Umerov said. Talks in Istanbul yielded 'no progress', a Ukrainian diplomatic source told Axios. Their comments reflect earlier reports, with another source claiming Moscow's demands were 'non-starters' and 'detached from reality'. At about 4pm UK time, Rustem Umerov, the Ukrainian minister of defence who has headed Kyiv's delegation in Istanbul, is expected to give a statement to the press. During the talks, Russia demanded Ukraine withdraw its troops from the four regions that Moscow unilaterally declared it would annex in 2022, Ukrainian media reports. This maximalist demand has been frequently voiced by the Kremlin and President Putin — despite Russia not controlling the totality of any one of the four regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. Russia's delegation was preparing press statements after the talks, according to the Russian news agency Tass. Before the talks concluded, a Ukrainian diplomatic source accused Russia of putting forward unrealistic demands. 'Russian demands are detached from reality and go far beyond anything that was previously discussed. They include ultimatums for Ukraine to withdraw from its territory for a ceasefire and other non-starters and non-constructive conditions,' the source told Reuters. 'Ukraine is ready for a real ceasefire and further genuine peace process without any preconditions.' Talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul have finished, a Turkish Foreign Ministry and Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters. There are some reports the talks may resume later in the day, with a Ukrainian official telling AFP further discussions were 'possible' but 'not planned'. Negotiations lasted for just under two hours, according to Russian news agency Ria. President Trump has said he 'may' call President Putin. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he wrapped up his Middle East tour, Trump said: 'We have to meet. He and I will meet'. 'I think we'll solve it [the war], or maybe not, but at least we'll know. And if we don't solve it, it will be very interesting.' In Istanbul's central Beyoğlu district, staff at Russian-language bookshop, In a Room and a Half, expressed little excitement for today's talks. Founded in late 2022 by a Russian Tatar and a Ukrainian, the shop aims to provide a space for 'people who speak Russian and are against what is happening', said Bogdan, a Ukrainian worker, who is from Crimea. 'We have no hope that today will mean we can go home,' said Bogdan told the Times. 'We have been watching this a long time and we know how it goes.' 'Until the leaders meet, nothing will happen, ' he said, echoing President Trump's earlier remarks. 'We live in a really unpredictable world now, but we leave a small hope for something good.' Bogdan's family still lives in Crimea, but the dual-national had been living in Moscow until the full-scale war broke out — he fled to Turkey in the summer of 2022, before Russia's mobilisation drive. 'I can't go to both countries now as both could send me to the war,' he said. Talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul are still ongoing, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source told Russian news agency TASS. Negotiations have been underway for more than an hour now, with neither side appearing to have left the room. President Zelensky told the European summit in Albania that Ukraine's 'number one priority is a full, unconditional and honest ceasefire'. 'And if the Russian representatives in Istanbul today cannot even agree to that, to a ceasefire … then it will be 100 per cent clear that [President] Putin continues to undermine diplomacy,' he added. France's President Macron, however, said that Russia 'doesn't want a ceasefire', and urged leaders to put more pressure on Moscow. Speaking at the European summit in Albania, President Zelensky accused Russia of staging an 'empty process' in Istanbul. He said that if President Putin's 'theatrical' delegation 'can't deliver any results today, the world must respond'. Putin must give his team in Istanbul a proper mandate to negotiate peace, Zelensky said, as he has done with his Ukrainian delegation. He added that Russia was following a playbook of making 'many statements and many threats, but [are] solving nothing'. 'They are doing everything to turn this Istanbul meeting into a staged process,' he continued. As President Zelensky meets with Sir Keir Starmer and EU leaders in Albania, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, vowed to 'increase the pressure' on President Putin until he is 'ready for peace'. The EU this week agreed on fresh sanctions clamping down on Russia's estimated 200 tankers used in its 'shadow' oil fleet used to circumvent curbs on Moscow's oil exports. Von der Leyen said the EU was already 'working on a new package of sanctions' that would target the controversial Baltic Sea gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2, to pre-empt any attempt to bring them back online. The new sanctions would also seek to list more shadow fleet vessels, lower the price cap set on Russian oil, and slap additional measures on Russia's financial sector, von der Leyen said. Some EU leaders though have admitted this round of sanctions is relatively limited compared to previous packages. Pope Leo has offered the Vatican up as a venue for future peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, after the summit in Istanbul failed to bring together President Zelensky and President Putin. Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, announced this morning that the Pope 'plans to make the Vatican, the Holy See, available for a direct meeting between the two sides'. He called Putin's absence — and the general lack of progress so far — 'tragic', adding: 'We hoped that it would be a, maybe slow, process, but with a peaceful solution to the conflict, and instead we are back at the beginning. Now we will see what to do, but the situation is difficult.' The pontiff spoke to Zelensky on Sunday and appealed to the sides 'with all his heart' to negotiate during an event on Wednesday. He said: 'The Holy See is always ready to help bring enemies together face-to-face … Let us meet, let us talk, let us negotiate.' Kyiv has repatriated the bodies of 909 soldiers who died fighting against Moscow's troops, it has emerged. The bodies were recovered from the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kharkiv and from Russian morgues, according to Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. The public body, set up shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, posted on Telegram: 'Law enforcement officials together with expert institutions of the Interior Ministry will identify the victims as soon as possible.' In September, a leaked report from a Ukrainian intelligence agency suggested that at least 70,000-80,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died in the conflict so far. Conservative estimates put Russia's death toll well above 100,000. In Turkey, pro-government media has made much of the country's increasing role as a global mediator, even going as far as to say the focus of global power is shifting towards Turkey and the Middle East region. Correspondents for state TV channel TRT World said that a focus on 'win-win' foreign policy mediation goes back to Ottoman times, with Trump's meetings in the Gulf, developments in Syria (where Turkey is now a key player) and Gaza also dominating coverage. They claimed that Turkey's President Erdogan is helping to 'change the world order'. The remarks echoed those made by Erdogan on Thursday, when he spoke at an unrelated event after his meeting with Zelensky. 'Our world is changing, the old order is crumbling, a brand-new equation is being established in our geography with Turkey at its centre,' he said. • Read in full: How Erdogan went from pariah to peacemaker Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, met with the UK's national security adviser Jonathan Powell, along with national security advisers from France and Germany to discuss Ukraine and Iran. President Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, was also in the hotel room, the BBC reports. Earlier today, Rubio said he was 'reiterating the US position that the killing needs to stop' in his talks with officials. By Tom Parfitt As the talks finally begin, there are growing allegations that the Russian negotiating team in Turkey has been sent to obfuscate and slow down the peace process rather than advance it. That appears to be accompanied by jockeying over the status of delegates on either side. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation, met senior state department official Michael Anton before planned talks with the Ukrainian team today. That came as a source in Moscow told Interfax that the Russians were insisting there should be no Americans in the room once direct negotiations began. This showed Moscow was 'undermining the peace effort', a Ukranian source told Reuters. Anton had earlier been expected to attend the Turkey-hosted Ukraine-Russia talks, the BBC reported, but would no longer do so. Direct talks at a low-level offer the chance to draw Ukraine into thorny behind-doors discussions, while stalling western arms supplies to Kyiv and keeping up advances on the battlefield. Hakan Fidan, the Turkish foreign minister, opened the meeting, flanked by the Ukrainian and Russian delegations on his left and right. Fidan said it was 'critical' for the two warring sides to achieve a ceasefire. He said Turkey was 'prepared to provide you with all we can … in these peace negotiations'. 'I wish this meeting has a successful end for peace for both countries concerned,' he added. The meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul is now under way, Reuters reports. Footage has shown the two sides meeting for the first direct talks since 2022. There are differing reports over whether direct talks between Russia and Ukraine have now begun, with Sky News reporting they are under way. The Turkish Foreign Ministry, however, has said they would begin 'shortly', according to Reuters. With the head of Russia's delegation expected to join talks with Ukraine shortly, the Kremlin has said President Putin is being fed 'constant' information about the negotiations in Istanbul. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's spokesman, also said a meeting between President Trump and Putin was 'undoubtedly necessary' after the US president said nothing would be resolved until the two leaders met. Peskov added that Putin may hold an 'international telephone conversation' this evening, without giving any further details. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia's delegation, has left talks with US representatives at a hotel in Istanbul, according to Reuters. A Ukrainian diplomatic source told the news agency that Russian demands to exclude the US from direct talks are 'undermining the peace effort'. 'We came to have a serious conversation, while (the) Russians are putting forward demands, conditions. This makes us doubt whether Putin sent them to solve issues or just stall the process,' the source said. 'There is only one reason for the Russians to be afraid of having the US in the room — they came to stall the process, not solve issues, and they want to hide this from the United States.' Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia's delegation, has now arrived for talks with the US, Reuters has confirmed. Meanwhile, details of what might be discussed during the meeting between Ukraine and Russia are beginning to emerge, with Kyiv wanting to raise plans for a face-to-face meeting between President Zelensky and President Putin, a diplomatic source has told the news agency. 'There also needs to be humanitarian confidence-building measures — such as the return of Ukrainian children, detained civilians (and the) exchange of prisoners of war on the all-for-all basis,' the source added. As expected, however, the priority for the Ukrainians will be to try and secure a ceasefire — something Russia has frequently pushed back on, suggesting it would focus instead on the 'root causes' of the war in Ukraine. Russia's delegation, which is now on its way to the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul to meet with Ukrainian delegates, will first speak with US representatives, Russian news agency Tass reports. Delegates representing the US are not expected to join the direct talks between Russia however, with reports suggesting Moscow insisted they not be present. Andriy Yermak, the head of President Zelensky's office, has held a meeting with Jonathan Powell, the UK's national security adviser, and senior officials from the US, Germany and France before the Russia-Ukraine talks. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Keith Kellogg, Trump's envoy, was the US representative at the meeting in Turkey, which Yermak said in a post on Telegram was to 'co-ordinate positions' before direct negotiations began. Powell, a former chief of staff to Sir Tony Blair, is a veteran negotiator who took part in the Northern Ireland peace talks which led to the 1998 Good Friday agreement. He is seen as one of the key architects of a 30-day ceasefire proposal for Ukraine, so far rejected by Moscow. The meeting was also attended by Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister, and Rustem Umerov, the defence minister who is leading Kyiv's delegation. France was represented by Emmanuel Bonne, an adviser to President Macron, and Germany by Günther Sauter, a senior diplomat. Yermak said Ukraine's priority was an unconditional ceasefire. Ukraine's delegation has already arrived for its meeting with Russia's team at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, with Moscow's delegation yet to arrive, according to Russian media. Michael Anton, the representative who was expected to represent the US in the Ukraine-Russia talks instead of Marco Rubio, will now no longer attend the direct talks, it is thought. We previously reported that Moscow insisted US representatives stay out of the negotiation with Kyiv. A meeting between US, Turkish and Ukrainian officials has now ended, a Turkish foreign ministry source has told AFP. The next meeting we can expect, at about 10.30am UK time, will be with Ukrainian and Russian officials. This will be the first direct talks between the two sides since the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Those talks, also held in Istanbul, collapsed after Moscow reportedly refused to budge on highly maximalist demands. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia's delegation, has said today's talks are a 'continuation' of 2022's negotiations. European leaders gearing up for a meeting in Albania today are reportedly preparing to dramatically scale up sanctions on Russia. Sir Keir Starmer will join President Zelensky, President Macron and Germany's new chancellor Friedrich Merz, who are thought to be looking to discuss a total trade embargo on Russia — something that the EU has so far held back from doing. An EU official told Politico that the fresh sanctions drive had been inspired by Lindsey Graham, a US Republican senator who enjoys a good relationship with both Zelensky and President Trump. Graham had suggested hitting Moscow with 500 per cent tariffs if it did not stop attacking Ukraine. Hakan Fidan, the Turkish foreign minister and one of the main architects of Turkey's security policy over the last 15 years, has emerged as a key mediator between Russia and Ukraine. Formerly the head of Turkey's national intelligence agency between 2010-23, he presided over attempts to head off Syria's civil war, helped manage the fallout from a failed coup attempt in Turkey in 2016 and was one of the chief architects of counter-PKK operations. Since becoming foreign minister, he has taken a lead role in efforts to stabilise post-Assad Syria and help secure the exchange of the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who spent 500 days in Russian detention accused of espionage. With his profile rising, some have even touted him as a potential successor to President Erdoğ met with the Russian delegation, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, last night and is expected to engage with the Ukrainian team headed by defence minister Rustem Umerov. Moscow insisted that US representatives stay out of the direct negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegates, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. It is unclear if its demand has been agreed to. The meeting is due to begin in Istanbul at about 10.30 BST. Turkish representatives will leave the room after making brief introductions, Interfax added. President Zelensky has called on Russia to make 'real steps to end the war, not their imitation'. He made the comment in a social media post thanking Fifa for its support of Ukraine, after speaking with the organisation's president Gianni Infantino by video link. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. 'We must work together for peace and the earliest possible ceasefire and a dignified and just end to the war,' Zelensky wrote. 'Diplomacy matters.' Infantino had joined President Trump's tour of the Gulf, including meetings with the political leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. As a result he was late arriving at Fifa's annual congress in Paraguay, prompting a walkout of European members. • Read in full: Gianni Infantino humiliated by Fifa walkout over Trump visit The Kremlin has reportedly sent Russian outlets instructions on how to cover the negotiations. Russian opposition outlet Meduza said that it acquired a manual from the Kremlin, which reportedly advises media to pre-emptively talk about a 'new package of sanctions' coming from the west and how Russia 'successfully copes with the challenges of any sanctions'. Russian media should also say 'negotiations are taking place on worse terms for Ukraine' compared to three years ago, it is believed, while not explaining how current battlefield realities — where Russia controls much less of Ukraine — are 'worse terms.' '[The instructions] indicate that the Kremlin is preparing the Russian population for a longer war in Ukraine and is not interested in engaging in good-faith negotiations that require compromises from both sides,' said the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington DC-based think tank. ISW added: 'Russia expects Ukraine to refuse the terms the Russian delegation will present in Istanbul as Ukraine would not accept terms tantamount to its surrender.' President Trump has said he will meet with President Putin 'as soon as we can set it up'. Speaking at a business round table in Abu Dhabi, he said: 'As soon as we can set it up I would actually leave here and go.' Asked if he was disappointed President Zelensky refused to participate in today's direct talks with Russia, Trump said: 'No. He [Zelensky] didn't show up because he heard Putin isn't going.' 'The world is a much safer place right now and I think in a few two or three weeks we can have it be a much much safer place,' he added. Trump will return to Washington DC after concluding his Middle East tour today, Reuters reports. The first meeting of the day has begun, according to the Turkish foreign ministry. As expected, this is between US, Ukrainian and Turkish officials at the Dolmabahce Palace. Hours before peace talks were due to begin in Turkey, Russian drones targeted Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials. Vitali Klitschko, the mayor, said there were 'explosions in the capital' at about 5am as air defences attempted to repel the attacks. The city's military administration said it was working to clarify information about potential victims. Firefighters tackled a blaze in the Svyatoshynskyi district, where damage was caused in the area of a boiler house as well as to windows and cars in a nearby residential area. Meanwhile, Russia claimed to have seized two more settlements — Novooleksandrivka and Torske — in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Kyiv did not comment on this claim and it has not been independently verified. On Thursday, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of Ukraine's armed forces, said Russia that was waging a 'war of attrition' along the 700-mile front line using a combined force of up to 640,000 troops. Delegations from Turkey, the US and Ukraine have arrived at the Turkish presidency's working office at the Dolmabahce Palace where talks are due to begin at 8.45am BST, according to Turkish media. A separate meeting, including Andrii Sybiha‎, Ukraine's foreign secretary; Keith Kellog, President Trump's special envoy to Ukraine; and national security advisers from the UK, Germany and France, has wrapped up, Ukrainian broadcaster Suspline reports. Heading Ukraine's delegation at the talks in Istanbul is Rustem Umerov, the defence minister. Umerov, 43, was appointed as defence minister in 2023. As a Crimean Tatar — the indigenous group which strongly opposed Russia's annexation of the peninsula in 2014 — his promotion in 2023 was seen as a strong signal that Kyiv was still serious about retaining Crimea. He was born in Samarkand region in Uzbekistan, to which the Crimean Tatars were deported by Stalin in 1944. His family did not return home until 1989. He became a businessman and then a Ukrainian MP, and was on Kyiv's negotiating team during talks with Russia in 2022. President Zelensky has said that Umerov's team and the Russian delegation must 'attempt at least the first steps toward de-escalation, the first steps toward ending the war — namely, a ceasefire'. With Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, no longer participating in the direct talks, the Trump administration will be represented by Michael Anton, the director for policy planning, in working-level talks with Moscow's delegation. The change in personnel seems to be a reaction to President Putin having moved the goalposts in the face of US demands and sending a low-level delegation to Turkey, despite hopes that Putin himself would attend. Rubio has still flown to Istanbul, and has said he would meet Andriy Sybigha, the Ukrainian foreign minister, and the Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan. His Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, is also absent from the talks. • Read in full: Russia not serious about peace in Ukraine, says Zelensky Ukraine lost an F-16 fighter jet in 'unusual' circumstances on Friday morning while repelling an enemy air attack, the country's air force said. 'According to preliminary data … an unusual situation arose on board. The pilot moved the aircraft away from the settlement and successfully ejected,' the air force said on the Telegram messenger. The pilot ejected from the aircraft after an 'emergency situation' at about 3.30am. The air force said that the pilot destroyed three air targets before the incident. It is believed to be the third known crash involving an F-16 since the US and its allies began sending the jets to Ukraine. The first crashed in August 2024 during a Russian air strike, with a second loss confirmed in April. The man chosen by President Putin to lead the Russian delegation has been held up by President Zelensky as an example of Moscow's 'unserious' attitude to peace talks. Vladimir Medinsky is a former culture minister known for his devotion to Putin's traditionalist world view. While Medinsky, 54, led Moscow's team at previous negotiations in 2022, he is better known by the public for his popular, but controversial, books on history and for censoring films deemed unpatriotic. The bespectacled Putin aide is a former tobacco lobbyist and nationalist historian, who has insisted that Russians 'have one extra chromosome'. In 2017, an academic panel in Russia recommended stripping Medinsky of his PhD after it found that his dissertation on 'problems of objectivity' in the treatment of 15th to 17th century Russian history 'misled readers' and was littered with mistakes. The Russian Higher Attestation Commission said it was more of a personal diatribe about foreigners allegedly besmirching the country, rather than a scholarly investigation. While talks are being prepared in Turkey, President Zelensky has landed in Albania to join Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders in a European Political Community Summit. The war in Ukraine is likely to feature heavily in today's meeting in Tirana. On Thursday, Zelensky lashed out at Russia's 'unserious' approach to negotiations by sending a junior delegation on behalf of President Putin. 'So far, we do not see anyone present who takes real decisions,' he said in Ankara on Thursday. President Putin must 'pay the price for avoiding peace', Sir Keir Starmer said in a statement before a summit with European leaders. The prime minister said that further sanctions on Russia — focusing on energy revenues — would be discussed at the meeting in Tirana, Albania, on Friday. 'Putin's tactics to dither and delay, while continuing to kill and cause bloodshed across Ukraine, is intolerable,' he said. 'A full, unconditional ceasefire must be agreed and if Russia is unwilling to come to the negotiating table, Putin must pay the price.' Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, has landed in Istanbul before the talks. Neither the Ukrainian or the Russian delegation will be led by his counterparts, but instead by lower-level officials after Moscow refused to send a more senior team to Turkey. Rubio is no longer expected to join the direct negotiations, but will hold meetings with the Ukrainians and Russians this morning. The US secretary of state said he did not have 'high expectations' for the talks. Marco Rubio echoed the words of the US president, saying President Trump and President Putin needed to meet if any progress was to be made in the Ukraine-Russia peace talks. Rubio added: 'It's my assessment that I don't think we're going to have a breakthrough here until the President [Trump] and President Putin interact directly on this topic.' On Thursday, Trump had said: 'Look, nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together.' Russian and Ukrainian delegations are due to meet with Turkish officials at about 10.30am BST, a Turkish military source told AFP. There will also be a three-way meeting at 8.45am BST between Turkish, Ukrainian and US officials, the source added, suggesting all talks would take place at Dolmabahce Palace on the banks of the Bosphorus. Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, and Hakan Fidan, the Turkish foreign minister, are expected to be present at the talks at some point during the day. It comes after a day of confusion on Thursday, when it was unclear whether the talks would go ahead at all in the absence of President Putin. The Russian delegation is led by Vladimir Medinsky, a former culture minister and author, who acts as an adviser to Putin on historical issues. The Ukrainian team is headed by Rustem Umerov, the defence minister.

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