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US First Lady Melania Trump wrote a heartfelt peace letter to Vladimir Putin, urging him to end the Ukraine war and protect children. The letter was delivered ahead of Trump’s Alaska summit.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow will clearly present its position during Friday’s Alaska summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, with talks set to focus on the Ukraine conflict, security, and other pressing global issues.

Ahead of his Friday Alaska meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump indicated a follow-up trilateral session with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could take place. European leaders might also be included in efforts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump estimated a 25 per cent chance that his Alaska meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin could fail. He described the summit as a “chess game” and hinted a successful outcome could lead to a trilateral session with Ukrainian President Zelensky.

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised India’s socio-economic and scientific progress while sending Independence Day greetings. Leaders from Singapore, Australia, Maldives, Bhutan, and Nepal also extended best wishes, highlighting enduring partnerships and deepening bilateral cooperation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London ahead of the US-Russia summit in Alaska. Starmer emphasised protecting Ukraine’s borders and warned that further sanctions could follow if Russia fails to engage in meaningful ceasefire talks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin for talks with European and US leaders ahead of the Trump-Putin summit. Kyiv and EU allies fear being sidelined from peace efforts that could hand Russia major concessions.

EU leaders urged US President Donald Trump to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty in his upcoming summit with Vladimir Putin, warning against land concessions without Kyiv’s consent. They stressed peace must respect international law, as fears grow over Russia’s ambitions and potential territorial swaps

Trump asserted that oil tariffs on India would harm Russia, making Putin more likely to seek an end to the Ukraine war. He also discussed his upcoming meeting with Putin and trade deals

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, reaffirming their commitment to deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. The conversation covered recent developments in Ukraine, with Modi reiterating India’s consistent call for a peaceful resolution.

Russia has ended its moratorium on deploying intermediate-range nuclear-capable missiles, blaming US missile plans in Europe. The move risks triggering a new arms race and mirrors Cold War tensions. Putin may deploy new Oreshnik missiles in Belarus this year

Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange prisoners during the third round of peace talks in Istanbul but remained divided over ceasefire conditions, with Ukraine pushing for an immediate and unconditional truce.

Briefing reporters after an hour-long phone conversation between the two presidents, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow will continue to seek a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict but will not leave its root causes unaddressed.

Ukrainian President Zelensky announced Ukraine is joining EU sanctions against Iran, calling it a brutal regime. He also signed a decree to exit the Ottawa Convention, citing Russia’s use of anti-personnel mines, stressing Ukraine’s need for such tools in defence

According to Putin, the peace talks in Istanbul make sense and have a positive outcome, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We do not see any NATO rearmament as a threat to the Russian Federation, because we are self-sufficient in terms of ensuring our own security," Putin said.

The intensity of the Russian attacks on Ukraine over the past weeks has further dampened hopes that the warring sides could reach a peace deal anytime soon — especially after Kyiv recently embarrassed the Kremlin with a surprising drone attack on military airfields deep inside Russia

Zelenskyy said that he still hopes for a ceasefire with Russia starting Monday, and that he will “be waiting for Putin” in Turkiye “personally” after US President Donald Trump insisted Ukraine accept Russia's latest offer — to hold direct talks in Turkiye on Thursday

The ceasefire will last from 6 pm Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday to midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday

Witkoff, who has met twice with Putin in recent weeks as Trump works to end the war in Ukraine, expressed confidence that talks in Saudi Arabia this week between American, Russia and Ukrainian officials would yield positive results, including on a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea, CNN reported.