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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said called for “strong” Western action against Moscow if peace talks that will be held in Istanbul fail.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said called for “strong” Western action against Moscow if peace talks that will be held in Istanbul fail.

“We had a real chance to take important steps toward ending this war if only Putin had not been afraid to come to Turkey,” Zelensky told European leaders in Tirana.

“If it turns out that the Russian delegation really is just theatrical and can’t deliver any results today… there needs to be a strong reaction, including sanctions against Russia’s energy sector and banks,” he said.

Negotiators from both the countries will meet today on Friday for the first peace talks after more than three years. However, expectations for a major announcement were dampened after US President Donald Trump said that there would be no movement without a meeting between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky accused Putin of not agreeing with his meeting requests to “resolve all the important issues”. He said, “I was ready for a direct meeting with Putin, whether in Ankara or in Istanbul, and not just for a meeting but to resolve all the important issues. But he didn’t agree with anything I put to him.”

He said that Ukraine’s first priority is a “full, unconditional, and honest ceasefire”, which he said “must happen immediately to stop the killing and create a solid basis for diplomacy”.

“And if the Russian representatives in Istanbul today cannot even agree to that, to ceasefire, to this clearly necessary first step, then it will be 100 percent clear that Putin continues to undermine diplomacy,” he added.

Fresh from securing a fourth term at the weekend — after campaigning on a pledge to take Albania into the EU by 2030 — Rama made plain his delight in welcoming counterparts from the bloc and beyond.

Kneeling to greet Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and gripping France’s Emmanuel Macron in a bro hug, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama hosted Europe’s leaders Friday with his showman’s panache undampened by torrential rain.

Fresh from securing a fourth term at the weekend — after campaigning on a pledge to take Albania into the EU by 2030 — Rama made plain his delight in welcoming counterparts from the bloc and beyond, as he basked in his resounding reelection win.

A larger-than-life figure towering two metres (six-foot seven-inches) tall, Rama had a word and a smile for each of the more than 40 leaders attending the meeting of the European Political Community (EPC).

From Tirana, “where all of Europe has come today and where the whole world will be watching, I say hello to you”, the prime minister wrote on Instagram ahead of the gathering.

The show began with Edi Rama twirling a navy blue umbrella on a bright red carpet, with the EPC’s star-shaped logo adorning his necktie and trademark sneakers.

When Meloni arrived, he knelt playfully to the ground — as he often does for his Italian “sister” — while making a point of escorting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the opera building where the leaders were holding talks.

Greeting Macron, Rama quipped “Here’s the Sun King” — as the clouds parted and the pair hugged before walking inside.

After days of sunshine in Tirana, Rama had a punchline for the British in attendance as well — suggesting they may have had a hand in the dampening turn of events.

“There was a suspicion but it became scientific proof from the European weather forecast institute that the persisting — and not indigenous — rain was brought by the British delegation yesterday morning,” Rama told leaders.

In a short statement shown live on Russian state TV after the negotiations in Istanbul had wrapped up, Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia’s delegation, said that Moscow was satisfied with progress made and was ready to keep talking to Kyiv.

Russia said on Friday that the first direct talks with Ukraine in more than three years had yielded a deal to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each soon and to resume talks after each side had set out its vision for a future ceasefire.

In a short statement shown live on Russian state TV after the negotiations in Istanbul had wrapped up, Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia’s delegation, said that Moscow was satisfied with progress made and was ready to keep talking to Kyiv.

“In general, we are satisfied with the result and are ready to continue contacts. In the coming days, there will be a massive thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange,” said Medinsky.

That would be one of the largest exchanges of its kind since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022 in what he called a special military operation.

“The Ukrainian side requested direct talks between the leaders of our states. We have taken note of this request,” Medinsky added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had challenged Putin to fly to Turkey for direct talks with him on Thursday, but Putin – who had proposed the talks in the first place but had not said who was going for Russia – sent a mid-level delegation of experienced negotiators instead.

The Israeli military launched a targeted attack on Yemen’s Red Sea ports of Hodeidah and Salif, aiming to weaken the Houthi group’s military capabilities. This operation marks the latest escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Houthis.

Israel’s military targeted Yemen’s Hodeidah and Salif ports to weaken Houthi capabilities amid escalating conflict. The IDF claims the ports were used for weapon transfers. Houthi leaders remain defiant despite Israeli threats of severe retaliation.

The Israeli military launched a targeted attack on Yemen’s Red Sea ports of Hodeidah and Salif, aiming to weaken the Houthi group’s military capabilities. This operation marks the latest escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Houthis, who have been launching missiles toward Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the ports were being used to transfer weapons, and the strikes were intended to “deepen the damage to the Houthis’ terror capabilities” and “neutralise” the ports. The IDF also urged residents to evacuate the areas, emphasising its efforts to minimise harm to civilians. In a statement, the IDF said, “The IDF struck and dismantled terrorist infrastructure sites belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime in the Hudaydah and Salif Ports in Yemen. These ports are used to transfer weapons and are a further example of the Houthi’s systematic and cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure in order to advance terrorist activities.”

The Houthi-run health ministry reported that the Israeli strikes killed at least one person and injured nine. Residents in Hodeidah described hearing four loud explosions and seeing smoke rising from the port following the attack. This attack is part of a broader strategy by Israel to disrupt the Houthis’ military supply chains and economic infrastructure.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement warning the Houthis that continued missile attacks on Israel would result in severe harm, not only to their military capabilities but also to their leadership. They specifically mentioned that Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi could become a target, similar to Hamas’ Yahya Sinwar and Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah. “If the Houthis continue to fire missiles at the State of Israel, they will be severely harmed, and we will also hurt the leaders,” the statement read.

However, the Houthis remain defiant. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a senior Houthi figure, dismissed the Israeli threats as “illusions,” accusing Israel of attempting to buy time by setting “unattainable goals.” The Houthis are part of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance,” alongside Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and control a significant portion of Yemen’s population.

The conflict between Israel and the Houthis has been escalating since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. The Houthis have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks on Israel, most of which have been intercepted or fallen short. Their slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews”. Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have intensified their attacks, launching 34 ballistic missiles and at least 10 drones at Israel.

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