Overview

• The EU has formally sanctioned 189 additional vessels in Russia's 'ghost fleet,' raising the total to 342, as part of its 17th sanctions package aimed at pressuring Moscow into a 30-day ceasefire.
• Russian and Ukrainian delegations, led by Vladimir Medinski and Rustem Umerov respectively, have gathered in Istanbul for direct talks, but Vladimir Putin and Volodímir Zelenski are not expected to meet face-to-face.
• Ukrainian President Zelenski insists on an unconditional ceasefire as a prerequisite for substantive negotiations, while Moscow demands acknowledgment of territorial gains.
• The U.S., represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoys, has expressed cautious optimism but maintains that a Trump-Putin meeting would be critical for progress.
• Confusion surrounds the timing and format of the Istanbul negotiations, with both sides exchanging accusations of insincerity and low-level delegations raising doubts about the talks' potential outcomes.