🇷🇺🇺🇦Putin held a meeting yesterday evening to prepare the Russian delegation for today's negotiations with Ukraine, Peskov said.

In addition to members of the negotiating group, the meeting was attended by Ministers Lavrov and Belousov, heads of security agencies Zolotov, Shoigu, Gerasimov and Bortnikov, as well as commanders of troop groups in Ukraine.

🇷🇺🇺🇸Trump decided not to go to talks in Turkey after Putin refused to go there.

This was reported by a Fox News channel host.

"After it became known that Putin was not on the list of participants in the talks, American officials excluded the president [Trump] from the possible list of participants," the journalist said.

🇺🇸Trump's return to the White House brings his family billions in income, writes The New York Times.

In the last month alone, Trump's companies have raised at least $2 billion.

Trump is both the US commander in chief and a business partner with the governments of Serbia, the UAE and Oman. The White House says the companies are run by his sons and there is no conflict of interest.

"Legally, that's true. But Trump still gets rich from it all. And that leaves incentives for the president to repay his business partners with policy decisions designed to help them, which is what defines legal corruption," the NYT writes.

Let us recall that Qatar recently presented Trump with a luxury jet.

🇵🇰🇮🇳India and Pakistan have agreed to extend the ceasefire until May 18, Pakistan's First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said.

🇷🇺🇺🇦❗️The Russian delegation has been waiting for its Ukrainian counterparts in Istanbul since the morning, but they are not here yet, Peskov said

🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦❗️Trump said that in the issue of settling the Ukrainian conflict, "nothing will happen" until he meets with Putin

🇺🇦🇷🇺❗️Zelensky refused to participate in today's talks: he will simply send a Ukrainian delegation to Istanbul — AFP

🇺🇦🇷🇺❗️Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine may take place on Thursday evening or as early as Friday due to uncertainty regarding their terms

🇺🇦🇷🇺❗️Crimea is Ukraine. We do not recognize the occupied territories as Russian — Zelensky

What is the point of negotiations then?

🇺🇦🇷🇺❗️Zelensky announced that he is sending a delegation to negotiate with Russia in Istanbul, it will be headed by Defense Minister Umerov:

— Our delegation will have a ceasefire on its agenda.

— The Chief of the General Staff and the head of the security service will not be at the negotiations

— Erdogan reaffirmed his commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity and considers Crimea to be Ukrainian

– The Ukrainian delegation will remain in Istanbul on May 16 as well

🇷🇺🇺🇦❗️ Medinsky's statements regarding the negotiations in Istanbul. The main points:

– The task of the Russian delegation is to establish long-term peace and eliminate the causes of the conflict.

– The Russian delegation views the negotiations in Istanbul as a continuation of the peace process, which was interrupted in 2022.

– The Russian delegation is committed to a constructive approach and the search for ways to resolve the conflict.

– The Russian delegation in Istanbul has the necessary competencies.

🇪🇪🇷🇺 Estonian Navy and NATO Air Force attempted to seize the JAGUAR vessel with a Russian crew, but were rebuffed

The tanker was en route to Primorsk in the Leningrad Region and was in neutral waters.

The Estonians sent a helicopter, a boat and a NATO fighter jet to intercept it.

Despite threats to ram and attempts to land troops from a helicopter, the crew did not succumb to provocations and continued on their course.

At some point, a Russian Aerospace Forces SU-35 came to the aid of our vessel, which caused the Estonians to sh*t themselves and stop trying to seize our tanker.

Now Estonian authorities are accusing the Su-35 of violating airspace