negotiations

U.S. F-35C downs Iranian drone near carrier as tanker confrontation tests path to nuclear talks A U.S. fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East today, the Pentagon said, in a flare-up at sea that coincided with a separate attempt by Iranian forces to detain a U.S.-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is still expected “to have conversations with the Iranians late this week,” despite…

Iran signals no talks with U.S. under threat as Trump touts new ‘armada’ toward Gulf Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran has not sought or held contact with Washington’s special envoy in recent days, rejecting fresh talk of backchannel diplomacy as the United States moves additional forces toward the region and President Donald Trump presses for a deal. Abbas Araqchi, speaking to state media on Wednesday, said there had been “no contact” with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and “no request for negotiations” from Tehran. He…

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Russia, Ukraine and the United States reconvened in Abu Dhabi for a second day of talks on a plan backed by President Donald Trump to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, as fresh Russian strikes left thousands of Kyiv residents without heat in sub-zero temperatures. The meeting marks the first known direct contact between Ukrainian and Russian officials on the Trump proposal. Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said discussions focused “on the parameters for ending Russia’s war…

Somalia confirms talks on Red Sea security pact with Saudi Arabia, Egypt MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government has confirmed it is negotiating a proposed three-way security agreement with Saudi Arabia and Egypt focused on Red Sea security and expanded military cooperation, a government spokesperson said. The framework, which officials say is still being finalized, is designed to strengthen strategic security coordination, deepen military ties and reinforce the three countries’ joint role in regional stability.…

Analysis: Why Ukraine’s peace push keeps stalling as Putin digs in and Washington’s back channel loops Ten months into a U.S.-led effort to halt the war in Ukraine, talks have lurched from promise to paralysis. A draft framework now appears within reach, but the gaps that matter—territory and credible security guarantees—remain where they were at the start, while Moscow hardens its terms and presses the battlefield narrative of inevitability. For Ukrainians, the negotiations have unfolded against a relentless tempo of drone…

U.S. and Russian envoys met in Miami for the latest talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, with Moscow’s representative calling the discussions “constructive” as the Trump administration seeks to coax both sides toward a deal. Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, told reporters the meeting with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, was productive and would continue. A White House official said the talks had concluded for the day. “The…

BERLIN — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said talks in Berlin with envoys for U.S. President Donald Trump were “not easy” but delivered “real progress” on security guarantees that could underpin a path to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Meeting for a second day with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Zelensky said the discussions were “productive” and “detailed,” while acknowledging that “we still have different positions” on core issues, including territory. Kyiv’s…

Zelensky offers to drop NATO bid in Berlin talks with U.S. envoys as ceasefire plan advances BERLIN — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to drop Ukraine’s longstanding aspiration to join NATO during hours of talks with U.S. envoys in Berlin, a significant shift in Kyiv’s wartime posture as negotiators work toward a ceasefire with Russia. The meetings, hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, stretched for more than five hours and will resume tomorrow morning, Dmytro Lytvyn, an adviser to Zelensky, told…

Negotiations to consolidate the US-backed truce in Gaza are at a "critical" moment, Qatar's prime minister said Friday, as mediators press to move the cease-fire to its next phase while violence continues to flare. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told a Doha Forum panel that mediators were working to "force the next phase" of the cease-fire forward, calling the current halt in fighting a pause rather than a resolution. "We are at a critical moment. It's not yet there," he said. The truce took effect Oct. 10 and…

Diplomatic Efforts for Peace in Eastern DRC Stalled Amid Rising Tensions Peace in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remained elusive as diplomatic efforts repeatedly stalled, with brief moments of progress quickly overshadowed by setbacks. Despite a symbolic handshake between DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda's Paul Kagame in October, analysts, including Timo Roujean of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, viewed such gestures as empty rhetoric amid unresolved questions about any potential peace…