Russian President Vladimir Putin and US emissary Steve Witkoff addressed today in the Kremlin possible direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to achieve a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
“It was about, among other things, the possible resumption of direct negotiations between representatives of Russia and Ukraine,” said Yuri Ushakov, international adviser to the Kremlin, during a telephone press conference.
Ushakov stressed that the meeting, which lasted for three hours, served to “bring positions closer” between the Kremlin and the White House.
In addition, he stressed that, by virtue of what was agreed by both presidents, the Russian-American consultations will soon continue actively.
US President Donald Trump today defended Moscow’s position on the membership of the annexed Crimean peninsula to the Russian Federation, something that Ukraine considers inadmissible.
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In addition, he assured that Russia’s commitment to cease hostilities and give up taking more territories than it already controls in the neighboring country are sufficient concessions.
Putin was willing for the first time to resume direct contacts with Kiev this week by alluding to a possible 30-day truce in the attacks on civilian infrastructure, at the proposal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“This must all be studied thoroughly, even at a bilateral level,” he said at the time.
In this regard, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said that the main obstacle is the decree signed by Zelenski that prevents him from negotiating face to face with Putin.
Representatives of Russia and Ukraine held direct negotiations in Minsk just after the start of the Russian military intervention on February 24, 2022 and met again in March in Istanbul.
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Russia maintains that both parties had reached a principle of agreement, but the interference of the United Kingdom threw down the consensus, although experts claim that the Russian demands represented, in fact, the capitulation of Kiev.
Meanwhile, Russia continues its offensive against Ukraine and last night launched 103 drones on Ukrainian territory, of which 41 were attack and were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses and another 40 without explosive charge fell without causing damage, according to the report issued on Friday by the Ukrainian Air Force.
The attack caused damage in the regions of Kharkov and Sumi, in northeastern Ukraine, in Donetsk in the east of the country and in the Cherkasi and Dnipropetrovsk regions, in the center.
In the town of Pavlograd in the latter region, three people, including a child, died, according to regional authorities.
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
Spain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Monday evening he hoped the electric service would be fully restored across Spain “soon,” while urging the public to act with “responsibility and civility” amid the blackout that has affected the Iberian Peninsula since midday.
Sánchez explained that the outage was triggered by “a strong fluctuation (…) in the European power system, which led to a widespread supply interruption across the Iberian Peninsula and some areas of southern France.”
After more than six hours without power, “service has been restored in several northern and southern territories” of the Iberian Peninsula, Sánchez said, adding that “hydroelectric power plants across the country have been reactivated, which should allow us to fully restore electricity in Spain soon.”
“I call on citizens to cooperate with the authorities, to act responsibly and civilly, as we have done in past crises,” Sánchez urged, addressing the chaos unfolding in the streets, with people left without phones, metro services, or trains.
The Prime Minister also asked people to “minimize travel,” “avoid spreading unverified information,” rely solely on official sources for updates, and make “responsible use of mobile phones” by keeping calls brief.
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“There are no security concerns,” Sánchez stressed, and “our hospital system is functioning properly.”
Madrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
Emergency services carried out 286 rescue operations to free people trapped in elevators in Madrid following a blackout that has been affecting the Iberian Peninsula since midday Monday, the president of the Madrid region reported.
“What we are dealing with most frequently right now are cases of people trapped in elevators,” said Madrid regional government leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso in an interview with Antena 3. She added that Madrid’s extensive metro system, which transports around two million people daily, was evacuated “without incident.”
One man posted a video on social media saying he had been trapped in an elevator without phone service for over half an hour due to the power outage.
“By banging on the door and shouting, a neighbor heard me and called the police,” he explained, noting that it took officers about 30 minutes to free him.
Spain and Portugal share a highly integrated energy network that operates as an “energy island,” connected to the rest of Europe by only a small number of cross-border interconnections with France.
