Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul that he said should be aimed at achieving a durable peace and eliminating the root causes of the war.

China is at the epicentre of U.S. President Donald Trump's global trade war that has roiled financial markets, upended supply chains and fuelled risks of a sharp worldwide economic downturn. Washington wants to reduce its trade deficit with Beijing and convince China to renounce what the U.

Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Russia's offer of "direct talks" by saying it was a "positive sign" Moscow was considering ending the war - but reiterated calls for a ceasefire to begin on Monday. His comments come after Russian President Vladimir Putin invited Ukraine to take part in "serious negotiations" on Thursday in a late-night address.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed Russia's potential consideration of ending the war, emphasizing the need for a full, lasting ceasefire.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has noted that Russia is considering a ceasefire, calling it a positive sign. Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter); Andrii Yermak, Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, on Telegram Quote from Zelenskyy: "It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war.