Istanbul, Türkiye
CNN
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The first in-person meeting of Russia and Ukraine of three years began on Friday with hopes dimly lit like the gray Istanbul sky.

And as discussions progressed, the weather brightened, but the outlook for peace was not like that.

Ultimately, the conference between the large prisoner swap (one of many of this war) and two discussion topics for future lectures – Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymiazelensky and the outline of the ceasefire was the only artifact at the Dolmabaha Palace in Istanbul, the thin palace of the Dolmabaha Palace in Istanbul.

The issue of ceasefires is when the cumbersome differences are most obvious.

By proposing these consultations last weekend, Russia was able to avoid the ultimate from Ukraine and its allies, sign up for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face major new sanctions.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is “ready to agree to a ceasefire today,” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Heolyti Taiki told reporters during a hurry-separated briefing late Friday afternoon, suggesting that this was not achieved as Russia’s low-level dependence is “probably limited.”

But that’s not the only obstacle. The Russian delegation was made clear on Friday, and Turkish officials told CNN that an unconditional ceasefire would be on the table and that if Ukraine wanted to silence its guns, Russia would still have to occupy four regions (Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Khersia attempted in 2022.

It’s not a new demand, but it’s unacceptable to Kiev, and Vice President JD Vance said earlier this month that Russia is “seeking too much” in the requirements to end the war.

As diplomatic cars slid down the busy streets of Istanbul, our frustration seemed to increase. After meeting both sides shortly before US officials met in person, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio left Istanbul with a scathing assessment of their outlook.

“It was because they were told there might be a direct involvement between the Russians and the Ukrainians. That was originally a plan,” he told reporters.

“It wasn’t that, or if so, it wasn’t at the level that I wanted.”

And the Ukrainians moved quickly to control the story.

At the Albanian summit, a delegation had appeared in Istanbul before Zelensky, calling a call between President Donald Trump and major European allies.

“Ukraine is ready to take the fastest possible steps to bring about real peace,” Zelensky wrote on social media after the call. However, he also made it clear that Ukraine is not the only one that must add, “If the Russians refuse to make a complete and unconditional ceasefire and refuse to end the killing, severe sanctions must continue.”

Ukrainian officials in Istanbul won similar tones.

“The interim success of today’s negotiations should still be integrated,” first vice minister Sergiy Kyslytsya told reporters late in the afternoon. “That means pressure on the Russian Federation must continue.”

There was also a clear effort to emphasize positivity. “If you agree to 1,000 in exchange for 1,000, I think this is already worth it,” said Tykhyi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, referring to the agreed swap of prisoners. “This is a major achievement by the Ukrainian delegation.”

But there is no sign of an increase in pressure from the US in the week that Russia once again refuses a ceasefire and ignores calls to send top-level officials to talks, and demands that the US already deems unacceptable.

Instead, Trump has promised to meet with Putin on Friday. “As soon as we can set it up,” he previously claimed, “nothing will happen (in Ukraine) until Putin and I get together.”

And the official Russian rating from Chief Negotiator Vladimir Medinsky kept it simple. “We are happy with the outcome and are ready to continue our contacts.”

CNN
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Israeli forces say they have launched the first phase of a new, massive attack in Gaza with a development that developed on the same day President Donald Trump concluded a visit to the region without securing a ceasefire contract.

“In the past day, the IDF (Israel Defence Force) launched and mobilized a massive attack to seize the strategic areas of the Gaza Strip. As part of the expansion of the “Tanks of Gideon” and the expansion of the campaign in Gaza, all the targets of the war in Gaza, including the defeat of Hamas and defeat.

“The Southern Command IDF forces will continue to work to protect Israeli citizens and realize the goals of the war,” the military added.

The development comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this month that he would be ousted south after receiving approval for an expanded military operation that Gaza’s population described as a plan to “conquer” the territory.

On Thursday, Israeli forces intensified operations across Gaza, killing more than 100 people and pledging to continue bombing.

According to Gaza Civil Defense, many of the victims were in Jabaria in northern Gaza and in Karn Yunis in the south.

Netanyahu has pledged to eradicate Hamas with a strategy that will keep more territory in Gaza in Hamas and push the entire civilians into smaller parts of the South.

The new Israeli attacks are among what appears to be increasing differences between the US and Israeli governments. Trump last week said he ended the “brutal war” in Gaza and did not visit Israel during his tour of the Middle East this week.

He also bypassed Israel twice this month to reach bilateral deals with regional extremist groups. Hamas released an Israeli-American hostage last week, and the Houtis agreed to stop firing on American ships in the Red Sea, pledging to continue the fight against Israel.

On Wednesday, Trump denied Israel was on the sidelines. “This is good for Israel,” he said.

But on Thursday he said he wanted the US to “take” Gaza and turn it into a “free zone.”

“I have the concept of Gaza. I think it’s very good. Let’s make it a free zone, let the US participate, just a free zone,” Trump said in Qatar.

The latest Israeli business comes as the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that the number of deaths in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023 has exceeded 53,000.

Israel launched a war after Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched a surprising attack on Southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. The attack marked the deadliest terrorist attack in Israel’s history.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Prior to direct consultations between Ukraine and Russia, CNN measured moods from the Ukrainian capital.

Kiev was full of people wearing it Visebanca – An embroidered shirt that has become a symbol of national strength and is traditionally exhausted on the third Thursday of May.

Similarly, despite the atmosphere of celebration on the streets, most Ukrainians CNN spoke to said they did not believe that negotiations with Russia would change anything.

“We want to see a ceasefire, but with this enemy, there will be no one,” said Danil, who works in the provincial emergency services in Odesa and who came to Kiev for a meeting.

The 23-year-old was impressed by Zelensky’s proposal to meet in person with the Russian leader, but acknowledged that there were limitations to what Ukrainian leaders could do at any meeting.

“I want Zelensky to slap Putin in the face, but I understand that politics can’t do that.”

For 72-year-old Liudmyla Vasiyk and 76-year-old Dina Fedina, the future also looks bleak. Returning from the Computer Literacy Course, the two friends told CNN they had no positive expectations.

“President Putin won’t come. He’s afraid. He wants to capture Ukraine and restore the Soviet Union. We want to finish everything well, but that won’t happen. Everything will remain the same.

They also said they didn’t expect much help from Donald Trump and dismissed him as “a businessman who needs money, not Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian soldiers deployed in the South Zaporidia region told CNN over the phone that they hope to hear Russia repeat the same story points if a meeting takes place.

“Perhaps the negotiable team of the invader state (Russia) will demonstrate an unnegotiable position by defending the non-existent “root cause” of war,” the officer said, referring to the Kremlin’s claims against accused Ukraine staying at the Western Alliances.

His position was being fired overnight by Russian artillery, he said. “No matter what negotiations we’re going to keep working and fighting.”

CNN
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A year and a half before winning power from his populist hands, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tass faces a very stubborn obstacle to his plans: the president of the country.

That could change after the pivotal presidential election that begins in the first round of Sunday’s vote.

Rafał Trzaskowski, the mayor of the capital, Warsaw, who is closely aligned with the ruling party left in the centre, serves two terms and is leading the polls in the race to replace Andrzej Duda, who is not entitled to stand up again.

His main challenger is Karol Nowrocky, an ally of US President Donald Trump. His previous Doda is a chosen candidate for the Right-wing Populist Law and Justice (PIS) party, who vehemently opposed the Task agenda. Now Rocky has loudly supported Trump and visited the White House earlier this month to meet with the president.

The stakes and European interests are enormous. The Presidential Palace was the last political hub of PI to lead an eight-year attack on the independence of the country’s judicial system, media and cultural groups before the government expelled it in late 2023. The continental centralist leaders succumb to opposition from the right.

Freely wielding the president’s veto, Duda blocked several attempts by Tusk to lift the legacy of Pis’ Polish state transformation, including judicial reform that was central to Tusk’s agenda. He also stalled progress on the bill related to hate crimes and access to birth control by rejecting the bill or sending it to legal gridlocks.

Polish presidents are the head of state of the country, but traditionally they are more ceremonial than the prime minister who runs the country’s government. However, the power of veto allowed the President to act as a foil to their government, and Duda has easily walked into political proceedings, clashing publicly with Fang about some aspects of his platform.

If Nawrocki wins the vote (if they move on to the second round in two weeks, if the candidate has not reached 50% of the votes – that roadblock is expected to be firmly present until the next parliamentary election in 2027 until the task is expected to show voters his government’s Zenda achievements.

“Nowlocky’s victory will significantly reduce the prime minister’s domestic political capital,” wrote Marta Prochwitz Yazovka of the European Council of Foreign Relations. “It will not only weaken the room for Taksk’s maneuvering, but will also burden his already vulnerable coalition of control as its members do not agree on how they will respond to the opposition president.”

However, the presidency of Trzaskowski will soon free the fangs from those constraints. Warsaw’s central left mayor is a pro-European and socially free voice in Polish politics, losing his previous presidential election to Duda with a thin margin of razors.

Polish presidential candidates technically stand as individuals, not as party representatives, but as individuals, their affiliations and each major political party have historically been largely hidden. Candidate support and campaign.

However, not all Tusk’s pledges pass immediately. The Prime Minister must win the consent of his broad governing coalition for some particularly controversial efforts in the Catholic state.

Tusk has pledged to ease abortion restrictions in Poland now. This now constitutes an almost complete ban on proceedings and allows for civil partnerships between same-sex couples, but both pledges have attracted opposition from lawmakers supporting his government.

Sunday’s vote is expected to cut candidate areas to Nawrocki and Trzaskowski before heading out in two weeks. But much attention is also paid to the performance of Swomir Menzen, co-leader of the polar coalition party. This is a strong criticism of solidly anti-beast, anti-immigrant and Ukrainian leader Voldimi Zelensky.

CNN
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More than a decade after 43 students from rural colleges of education disappeared in southern Mexico, new arrests spark fresh scrutiny and reopened old wounds. On Thursday, Mexican authorities detained 79-year-old Lambertina Galeana Marin, now a retired judge.

The arrest is linked to the “loss of recordings from cameras” placed at the Judicial Palace in Iguara, Guerrero, Mexico, where a student was last seen.

Marin served as president of Guerrero’s Senior Court of Justice at the time of the incident. The arrest warrant was issued in August 2022 to military commanders, police officers and “Five Administrative and Judicial Authorities in the State of Guerrero,” but at the time the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) did not identify any suspicious individuals.

Mexican President Claudia Sinbaum spoke about Marin’s arrest at a press conference Friday morning. She said the special prosecutor’s office is investigating why the video related to the case was erased. This is the issue she noticed that families of those who disappeared in 2014 have been procuring for a long time.

Sinbaum replaced Andre’s Manuel Lopez Obrador in 2024 and left the presidency without fulfilling his important pledge to uncover the truth about the disappearance of students in 2014.

Cases of missing students have long held Mexico. Students were travelling to Iguara, a Southwestern city of Iguara, where buses were stopped by local police and military forces on September 26, 2014. What happened after that interaction is still unknown, but the photographs of the scene show a bus covered in bullets.

A 2022 government report concluded that the vanished students were victims of “state sponsored crimes.” In 2023, a report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico found that Mexican troops did not provide all the information requested by an independent panel investigating the disappearance. That same year, experts on that panel left, citing “lack of information,” “secrets,” and “hidden evidence” surrounding investigative efforts.

For mourning families, the arrest strengthens suspicions of possible cover-up related to the 2014 loss disappearance. Felipe de La Cruz, one of Ayotzinapa’s parents and a spokesman for the group of vanished parents, told CNN on Thursday that the area’s “silence agreement continues to govern.”

“For us, first and foremost, it’s very important that the research continues and that work continues,” added De La Cruz.