Ukraine and Russia Agree Prisoner Swap in Ankara Talks 

Tatiana Moskalkova, Russia's human rights ombudsman, and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets meet in Ankara, Türkiye, January 11, 2023. (Reuters)
Tatiana Moskalkova, Russia's human rights ombudsman, and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets meet in Ankara, Türkiye, January 11, 2023. (Reuters)
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Ukraine and Russia Agree Prisoner Swap in Ankara Talks 

Tatiana Moskalkova, Russia's human rights ombudsman, and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets meet in Ankara, Türkiye, January 11, 2023. (Reuters)
Tatiana Moskalkova, Russia's human rights ombudsman, and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets meet in Ankara, Türkiye, January 11, 2023. (Reuters)

Russia and Ukraine have agreed on an exchange of 40 prisoners of war, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said on Wednesday after meeting her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets in Türkiye. 

Moskalkova and Lubinets met on the sidelines of an international ombudsman conference in Ankara. Photos showed them sitting on opposite sides of a table. 

The initial talks lasted for some 40 minutes. A second round began at 0920 GMT. 

As they met, a battle was raging for the small town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine. 

Earlier, Moskalkova had said on the Telegram messaging app that she and Lubinets had discussed humanitarian assistance for citizens of both Russia and Ukraine. 

They were later expected to visit the Turkish presidential palace, where President Tayyip Erdogan was scheduled to make a speech for the conference at 1130 GMT. 

A Turkish source said Moskalkova and Lubinets might discuss a humanitarian corridor and the situation of children who had fled the war. 

Russia and Ukraine have conducted numerous prisoner swaps - most recently on Sunday - in the course of the war, which is now in its 11th month. 



Kremlin Says US Has Not Responded to Its Nuclear Arms Control Offer

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his traditional televised New Year's Address to the people of Russia, in Moscow, Russia, 31 December 2025.  EPA/MIKHAIL METZEL/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his traditional televised New Year's Address to the people of Russia, in Moscow, Russia, 31 December 2025. EPA/MIKHAIL METZEL/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL
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Kremlin Says US Has Not Responded to Its Nuclear Arms Control Offer

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his traditional televised New Year's Address to the people of Russia, in Moscow, Russia, 31 December 2025.  EPA/MIKHAIL METZEL/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his traditional televised New Year's Address to the people of Russia, in Moscow, Russia, 31 December 2025. EPA/MIKHAIL METZEL/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL

The Kremlin said on Thursday that the United States had not responded to President Vladimir Putin's proposal to informally extend for ‌a year ‌the ‌provisions of ⁠the last ‌remaining nuclear arms pact between Moscow and Washington, the New START treaty, which is ⁠due to expire ‌in three weeks.

Kremlin spokesman ‍Dmitry ‍Peskov was responding ‍to a question about comments made by US President Donald Trump, who has said that he ⁠instead wants a more ambitious nuclear arms control treaty which includes China - something Beijing has so far shown no interest in.


German Air Traffic Control Advises Avoiding Iranian Airspace until Feb 10

Reuters file photo of an IranAir plane
Reuters file photo of an IranAir plane
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German Air Traffic Control Advises Avoiding Iranian Airspace until Feb 10

Reuters file photo of an IranAir plane
Reuters file photo of an IranAir plane

Germany's air traffic control authority said Thursday it was recommending planes avoid Iranian airspace after the United States has in recent days warned of a possible military intervention in Iran.

A spokesman for Germany's Flight Safety Office told AFP in a statement it had issued a recommendation "that Iranian airspace not be overflown... until February 10," adding that the advice had been issued "on the instruction of the transport ministry".


Türkiye Calls for Dialogue to Resolve Iran Unrest

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during an interview with Reuters at the 23rd edition of the annual Doha Forum, in Doha, Qatar, December 6, 2025. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during an interview with Reuters at the 23rd edition of the annual Doha Forum, in Doha, Qatar, December 6, 2025. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
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Türkiye Calls for Dialogue to Resolve Iran Unrest

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during an interview with Reuters at the 23rd edition of the annual Doha Forum, in Doha, Qatar, December 6, 2025. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during an interview with Reuters at the 23rd edition of the annual Doha Forum, in Doha, Qatar, December 6, 2025. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Türkiye's top diplomat on Thursday called for dialogue to the crisis in Iran, rocked by mass protests which rights group say have left thousands dead and which prompted US warnings to Tehran.

"We absolutely want problems to be resolved through dialogue," Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told journalists in Istanbul.

"Hopefully, the United States and Iran will resolve this issue among themselves -- whether through mediators, other actors, or direct dialogue. We are closely following these developments."