Le Journal

High-Stakes Diplomacy: U.S. and Russia Tussle for Peace in Ukraine In a rare diplomatic engagement, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with three U.S. envoys late Thursday to discuss a potential end to the prolonged conflict in Ukraine, as confirmed by the Kremlin.The envoys, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Josh Gruenbaum, newly appointed by former President Donald Trump, represented American interests in Moscow, as Gaza tensions remained a pivotal topic. Conversations touched upon territorial disagreements, specifically Russia's demand for Ukraine to cede control over parts of the Donetsk region and renounce NATO membership aspirations.In a hopeful development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hinted at upcoming talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. in Abu Dhabi. These discussions aim to finalize security guarantees and establish a framework for Ukraine's economic recovery post-war.

U.S. Backs Iraq's Efforts to Detain ISIS Members Amid Regional Instability U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday that Washington is in favor of Iraq's efforts to securely detain members of the Islamic State. This act comes in response to the recent instability in northeast Syria due to the sudden retreat of Kurdish forces.Rubio highlighted the United States' urging of other nations to take responsibility for their citizens currently detained in Iraqi facilities. Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council has also signaled its intent to begin legal actions against these detainees, following the U.S. military's transfer of 150 suspects to Iraqi custody.The U.S. military has plans that could involve moving up to 7,000 detainees from Syria. As Kurdish forces rapidly exit, the United Nations has stepped in to manage Syria's camps housing women and children linked to ISIS, highlighting an urgent need for international cooperation to prevent an ISIS resurgence.