🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- The US-Ukraine talks have ended in Istanbul, Turkey. The US is expected to meet the Russian delegation before the Russia-Ukraine direct talks begin.

🇦🇲🇦🇿🇦🇱⚡- Tense meeting between Azerbaijan's Aliyev and Armenia's Pashinyan on the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit in Tirana, Albania.

🇷🇺🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- The Russian delegation arrives at the Dolmabahce, in Istanbul, the venue for the Russia-Ukraine talks.

🇺🇸🇷🇺🇹🇷⚡- BREAKING: The Russian delegation demands that the Russia-Ukraine talks, mediated by Turkey, take place without US presence.

The US is represented by Secretary of State Rubio and Special Envoy to Ukraine Kellogg.

🇷🇺🇹🇷⚡- Turkey says the talks were arranged for 12:30pm local time, however the Russian side arrived at Dolmabahce at 12:45pm.

🇺🇸🇷🇺🇹🇷⚡- Russia's Head of the delegation Vladimir Medinsky is currently meeting US Secretary of State Rubio alone.

🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- "Peace is possible only if Russia shows readiness for concrete actions. This means a complete, unconditional 30-day ceasefire," - Rustem Umerov, Defense Minister of Ukraine and Head of Ukraine's delegation in Istanbul.

The comments were made to the press immediately following the US-Ukraine talks.

🇷🇺🇹🇷⚡- "The Russian delegation is in constant contact with the Presidential Office," - The Kremlin.

🇷🇺⚡- "Putin will hold a security council meeting this evening," - The Kremlin.

🇷🇺⚡- "Putin may hold an international phone call this evening," - The Kremlin.

🇷🇺🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- BREAKING: Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul have begun.

🇹🇷 - Vladimir Medinsky, Head of Russia's delegation, is still meeting US Secretary of State Rubio. He will be joining the Russia-Ukraine talks late.

It's unknown if the US side will join the talks.

🇺🇸🇹🇷⚡- US Secretary of State Rubio and Special Envoy Kellogg will not be joining the talks, as the Russian side forbade them from doing so.

🇮🇷🇮🇱⚡️- "Iran paid a 16-year-old boy from Shefla to burn a page and a bill with an inscription condemning Netanyahu, to photograph certain sites, and to take pictures of vitamin money in various places." - Shin Bet, Israeli internal security service.

🇮🇹🇦🇱⚡- Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama kneeled to welcome Italy's Giorgia Meloni to the European Political Community Summit in Tirana.

🇷🇺🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul are over - lasting less than 2 hours.

🇷🇺🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- Russia-Ukraine talks to resume next week Friday. Both sides cite some positivity.

🇷🇺🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- Ukraine's Defense Minister and Head of delegation Umerov says the talks have opened a way for a possible Putin-Zelensky meeting. Umerov has also said both sides have agreed to a large 1,000-1,000 prisoners of war exchange.

🇷🇺🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- "We will continue talks. We are satisfied with the result," - Vladimir Medinsky, Head of Russia's delegation.

🇺🇸🇺🇦⚡- Zelensky, Starmer, Tusk, Macron and Merz called US President Trump after the Russia-Ukraine talks ended.