WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump has directed his team to come up with a framework for security guarantees that will help ensure lasting peace in Ukraine, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.
The accommodations of a potential Putin-Zelensky meeting are on the way, and both sides expressed willingness for talks, she told a press briefing. (Trump-Ukraine-Peace)
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DAMASCUS -- Syria's foreign affairs chief, Assad Hassan al-Shibani, met with an Israeli delegation in Paris on Tuesday to discuss efforts to reduce tensions and bolster stability in southern Syria, according to Syria's state news agency SANA.
Al-Shibani and the Israeli delegation focused on de-escalation, non-interference in Syria's internal affairs, and the revival of the 1974 disengagement agreement that has governed the frontier for decades, said SANA, adding that their talks also covered ways to monitor the ceasefire in Sweida province, a flashpoint in the country's south. (Syria-Israel-Peace)
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MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump voiced support for continuing direct negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in a phone call, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said on Tuesday.
The call was initiated by Trump following his meetings at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders, Ushakov said. (Russia-Ukraine-Peace)
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JERUSALEM -- A senior Israeli official said on Tuesday Israel is demanding the release of all hostages still held in Gaza, a day after Hamas announced it had accepted a ceasefire-for-hostage proposal brokered by Qatar and Egypt.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not explicitly reject the plan but said Israel "demands the release of all 50 hostages in accordance with the principles set by the cabinet for ending the war." (Israel-Gaza-Hostage) ■
