The US, Ukraine and Russia are preparing for talks in Istanbul on Thursday aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, with US President Donald Trump suggesting he might attend the negotiations in the Turkish city.
The level at which talks will be held remained unclear on Wednesday, or whether there would be a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The US is sending senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, marking some of the most high-level representation in negotiations on ending the war, which entered its fourth year in February. Mr Trump said they would be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Our people are going to be going there. Marco is going to be going there. Others are going to be going, and we'll see if we can get it done,” Mr Trump said during the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Mr Trump said he may also join the talks, believing that Mr Putin would only attend if he was there.
“He’d like me to be there, and that’s a possibility. I don’t know that he would be there if I’m not there. We’re going to find out,” Mr Trump said aboard Air Force One en route to Qatar, according to Reuters.
In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he welcomed talks to end the war, although Ankara has not provided details of when or where a meeting might take place. Washington's decision to send high-ranking officials to the talks suggests the US is serious about brokering a truce.
Mr Trump has attempted to mediate between Ukraine and Russia after beginning his second term in January. Mr Rubio held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and with Mr Zelenskyy during separate meetings in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh earlier this year.
Mr Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, saying he wanted to find a way to “eliminate the root causes of the conflict” and “achieve the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace”.
On Tuesday night, Mr Zelenskyy said that his team is, “actively preparing for a visit to Turkey” and said calls for “direct negotiations at the highest level are equally important”.
Mr Zelenskyy has said repeatedly in recent days that he would be ready to meet Mr Putin in person. On Tuesday, he said he would meet Mr Erdogan in Ankara on Thursday and could travel on to Istanbul if Mr Putin comes to the city.
“We will wait for the meeting with Putin in Turkey. So that Russia does not manipulate the cities and does not say that Putin is not ready to fly to Ankara, but is ready to fly only to Istanbul, I want to say right away: if Putin flies to Istanbul, and not to the capital, I have sent a signal to President Erdogan, and the Turkish side is ready for Erdogan and I to fly to Istanbul,” Mr Zelenskyy told a press conference in Kyiv.
“Putin is the one who determines everything in Russia, so he is the one who has to resolve the war. This is his war. Therefore, the negotiations should be with him,” he said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a briefing on Tuesday that Russia was “moving forward with preparations for the talks that are expected to take place on Thursday”.
Russia and Ukraine have widely diverging views on what a ceasefire deal might look like, and it is not clear whether even direct talks in Istanbul might be enough to secure an agreement. Russia wants recognition of its sovereignty over four areas of Ukrainian territory and for Kyiv to drop its ambitions to join Nato. Kyiv wants the exact opposite: a withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory and the possibility of joining the security alliance remaining open.
Nato ministers are due to gather in the Turkish resort city of Antalya on Thursday and Friday for an informal meeting.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said he was “in close contact with all the main actors” in the Ukraine talks.
However, it would be “difficult for me to decide what will happen in the next 24-48 hours”, he told Turkish state news agency Anadolu.
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 Chelsea 0
De Bruyne (70')
Man of the Match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
If you go...
Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TALE OF THE TAPE
Manny Pacquiao
Record: 59-6-2 (38 KOs)
Age: 38
Weight: 146lbs
Height: 166cm
Reach: 170cm
Jeff Horn
Record: 16-0-1 (11 KOs)
Age: 29
Weight: 146.2lbs
Height: 175cm
Reach: 173cm
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm)
Burnley v Huddersfield Town (7pm)
Everton v Bournemouth (7pm)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (7pm)
Southampton v Manchester United (7pm)
Stoke City v Chelsea (7pm)
Swansea City v Watford (7pm)
Leicester City v Liverpool (8.30pm)
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United (7pm)
Monday
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (11pm)
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
The%20specs
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group C
Liverpool v Red Star Belgrade
Anfield, Liverpool
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
THE SPECS
Engine: six-litre W12 twin-turbo
Transmission: eight-speed dual clutch auto
Power: 626bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh940,160 (plus VAT)
On sale: Q1 2020
