For today, links to eight reports: from Reuters, Tass, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, and Kyiv Post; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 5-12-25 is HERE, or scroll down. WEST BANK, GAZA, YEMEN, SYRIA and MEDIA entries for today are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM
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Putin and Trump still ‘maybes’ for Ukraine peace talks that Russian leader proposed, by Dmitry Antonov and Andrew Osborn | Reuters MOSCOW — U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin were still “maybes” for what could be the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years after the Kremlin on Wednesday held off disclosing who would represent Russia. READ MORE . . .
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Rubio, Witkoff to travel to Istanbul on Friday for Ukraine talks. From Tass. A White House spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Presidential special Representative Steve Witkoff, and U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg are scheduled to travel to Istanbul to participate in discussions on Ukraine, according to Reuters. READ MORE . . .
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Ukraine wants clarity from Russia before deciding next steps on talks in Turkey, by Tom Balmforth | Reuters KYIV — Ukraine’s leadership will decide on its next steps for peace talks in Turkey once there is clarity on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s participation, a Ukrainian diplomatic source said today. READ MORE . . .
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Russian and Ukrainian representatives expected to gather in Turkey for negotiations. Reported by Charles Maynes and A Martínez | NPR Representatives from Russia and Ukraine will gather in Turkey on Thursday for negotiations — their first since the early months of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE and HERE for reports from AP and Reuters.
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Council of Europe backs special tribunal for Russian aggression against Ukraine, by Tim Zadorozhnyy | The Kyiv Independent The Council of Europe today approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia’s top leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian lawmaker Maria Mezentseva said. READ MORE . . .
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Russian summer offensive is coming, with or without peace deal: analysts, by Stefan Korshak | Kyiv Post Russia is not interested in a peace deal because the Kremlin is planning a major summer offensive that will take by force Ukrainian territory it might otherwise have to give up at the negotiating table, according to Ukrainian and independent military analysts. READ MORE . . .
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