U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys arrived in Moscow on Thursday for talks with President Vladimir Putin about the results of U.S.-mediated negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
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envoys → arrive → delegations
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is also Trump's son-in-law, attended the two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
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who → attend → Emirates
The talks wrapped up Wednesday with an agreement on a large exchange of prisoners, but no visible breakthrough on ending the nearly five-year hostilities.
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talks → wrap → hostilities
After meeting with Putin, Kushner said that he and Witkoff will fly to Dublin, Ireland, to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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he → say → Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy gave a muted welcome to the outcome of the talks, saying that the proposed prisoner exchange was a positive step.
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exchange → give → talks
At the same time, he insisted that Ukraine won't give in to demands that it cede its territory that has been occupied by Russia in exchange for peace.
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that → insist → peace
From time to time, Russia and Ukraine have swapped prisoners, but have remained far apart in their demands for accepting a peace settlement.
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Russia → swap → settlement
Along with post-conflict security guarantees for both countries, other key hurdles are the fate of Russia-occupied Ukrainian territory and what role European countries will play in an eventual settlement.
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countries → occupy → settlement
Moscow doesn’t want European countries, which are concerned about Russia’s conduct and broader intentions on the continent, involved in the direct negotiations.
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which → want → negotiations
Kushner said that one of the goals of the Moscow meeting is to try to get Europeans added to the talks.
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Europeans → say → talks
Kushner noted that both Ukraine and Russia needed clarity on post-conflict security arrangements, and European countries, the European Union and NATO have to be involved in those discussions to build consensus on the next steps.
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countries → note → steps
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that European representatives could eventually join peace talks.
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representatives → say → talks
But Peskov said that their current statements “don’t indicate any desire on their part to contribute to movement along the path toward peace.”
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statements → say → peace
Moscow complains that Europe is financing and supplying weaponry to Ukraine.
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Europe → complain → Ukraine
Ukraine wants to ensure that Moscow doesn’t attack again, and EU officials say any discussions on Europe’s security arrangements could only start after a ceasefire.
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discussions → want → ceasefire
Many in Europe see the inclusion of Russia in those plans as a concession to Putin, who has described NATO’s eastward expansion as a top security threat to his country.
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who → see → country
Moscow has demanded that the alliance withdraw its troops from Russia’s borders.
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alliance → demand → borders
Fighting continues along the 1,200-kilometer (about 750-mile) front line, where little territory has changed hands this year, while both countries are battering each other with long-range missiles and drones.
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countries → continue → missiles
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 71 Ukrainian drones overnight.
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defenses → say → drones
The ministry declared that the military has struck a drone-making plant in Kyiv and three other facilities producing missile fuel and drone components in the area around the Ukrainian capital.
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military → declare → capital
It said that other strikes hit power substations in Zhytomyr and a bulk carrier heading to the Black Sea port of Odesa with cargo for the Ukrainian armed forces.
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strikes → say → forces
A Russian military serviceman was killed in St. Petersburg early Thursday when his vehicle exploded, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s main criminal investigation agency.
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vehicle → kill → Committee
It didn’t name the victim or say who could be behind the bombing.
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who → name → bombing
Fontanka news outlet said that the victim was a colonel and an explosive device in his car went off as he drove off.
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he → say → car
Another person accompanying him was wounded, it said.
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it → accompany → him
Several senior officers have been killed by bombings and other attacks that Russia has blamed on Ukraine.
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Russia → kill → Ukraine
Kyiv has claimed responsibility for some attacks on Russian soil.
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Kyiv → claim → soil
The Aporia
