#diplomatic-negotiations

#diplomatic-negotiations

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered the release of 250 political prisoners on Thursday in exchange for easing sanctions from Washington, according to the US embassy in nearby Lithuania. It is reportedly the largest one-time release of its kind so far, as Belarus is ramping up efforts to normalize ties with the United States.

The article, published on Monday, cited four individuals familiar with the talks and included revelations that negotiators demanded that President Miguel Diaz-Canel, the leader of the Cuba's communist government, would need to go during talks as the island grapples with fuel shortages and a power grid outage.

Keir Starmer has done a lot to reset the Irish-British relationship, I just want to put that on the record. I do believe that he's a very earnest, sound person (who) you have a capacity to get on with, you've got on with him before.

These talks have been aimed at seeking solutions, through dialogue, to the bilateral differences between our two nations. There are international factors that have facilitated these exchanges. During our discussions, the Cuban side has expressed its willingness to carry out this process on the basis of equality and respect for the political systems of both states, for sovereignty, and for the self-determination of our governments.

Cuba's government said Thursday night that it would release 51 people from the island's prisons in an unexpected move. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the release in the upcoming days stems from a spirit of goodwill and close relations with the Vatican. The government did not identify who it would release, except to say that 'all have served a significant part of their sentence and have maintained good conduct in prison.'

Qatar's minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi, speaks with Talk to Al Jazeera, as the Gulf faces its most dangerous escalation in years after coming under Iranian drone and missile attacks. Al Khulaifi condemns Iran's aggression, warns that attacks on energy infrastructure threaten global markets, and argues that Gulf security is inseparable from global stability.

Well, he's not Winston Churchill, let me put it that way. Trump suggested that the British government should cooperate more closely with American military operations, expressing surprise at the Prime Minister's response in the initial days of the conflict.

59% of Americans say they don't trust President Trump to make the right decisions on the use of force in Iran. 60% of Americans do not believe the president has a clear plan on how to handle the situation. A brand-new CNN poll found that nearly 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of the airstrikes on Iran, and there are few signs of good news for the president elsewhere in this poll.

The United States and Israel have launched strikes on Iran despite ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear programme. Iran responded to Saturday's attacks with missile and air strikes across the region, including in Israel, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq.

I think that the president is preparing us to defend America's vital national security interests both in that region and here at home. I mean, we cannot abide we cannot tolerate a nuclear Iran. He made that clear in his speech last night. I think that's something I hope, at least, that a big majority of Americans agree with.

Russian and Ukrainian officials resumed a second day of peace talks in Geneva. Washington's envoy Steve Witkoff signaled optimism and progress towards ending the deadliest conflict since World War II. But the head of the Russian delegation played down hope for a significant step forward before talks began yesterday. US President Donald Trump and officials in his administration have been pushing for an end to the war. But the deal appears to be stuck on the issues of territory and security guarantees.

The United Nations Security Council last month mandated international troops to operate in Gaza through the end of 2027, but the exact role of these forces remains unclear. The U.S. convened representatives of dozens of countries in the Qatari capital this week to discuss plans for the International Stabilization Force, or ISF. It was only a planning meeting, with no countries yet formally committing troops, according to a U.S. official who spoke anonymously in order to discuss the closed-door meeting.

Donald Trump on Sunday claimed Ukraine had shown no gratitude for US efforts to end the war, as American, Ukrainian and international negotiators met in Switzerland to discuss the peace plan that would involve significant concessions to Moscow from Kyiv. Poland's president, Donald Tusk, asked where Trump's peace plan came from, after an apparent admission by the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, that the text was originally drafted by Moscow.

Kyiv authorities and European officials alike are scrambling to find responses to a 28-point peace plan put forward by the US Trump administration. While Washington has touted the plan as a "win-win" resolution of the Ukraine conflict, critics have said it is heavily skewed to meet key demands from Moscow. Both Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha say they have discussed possible next steps with their European allies.

Ceasefire to go into effect within 24 hours of Israel's cabinet ratifying the deal tonight, says Israeli government. Israel's government has confirmed signing the final draft of an agreement on phase one of a ceasefire deal with Hamas aimed at ending the Israeli war on Gaza, which has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians in two years. Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters on Thursday the signing took place earlier that morning in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh, following three days of intensive negotiations in the city.

(Sipa via AP Images) French President Emmanuel Macron warned Friday that Donald Trump would once again get played by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump gave Putin a deadline of Monday to agree to bilateral talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over ending the war between the two nations, but the Kremlin has given no indication that things are moving in that direction. Trump has threatened consequences if the meeting doesn't happen, but Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed their doubts.

At the end of the day, the final settlement will see my boss, President Trump, in the room, sealing the deal,” senior director for counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka said during an interview at Politico's Security Summit about Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

President Donald Trump announced that India and Pakistan have reached a ceasefire agreement after several tense days, highlighting the role of U.S. mediation in this achievement.

The fact that Trump has appointed real-estate mogul Steve Witkoff to oversee the negotiations to end this - and all other foreign wars - has not helped matters.