Republican Mike Pence Enters Presidential Race

Former Republican Vice President Mike Pence. (Reuters) 
Former Republican Vice President Mike Pence. (Reuters) 
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Republican Mike Pence Enters Presidential Race

Former Republican Vice President Mike Pence. (Reuters) 
Former Republican Vice President Mike Pence. (Reuters) 

Former Republican Vice President Mike Pence is set to enter the 2024 presidential race against his former boss Donald Trump on June 7, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.

Pence will launch his campaign with a video and a speech in the early nominating state of Iowa, the sources said.

Pence angered Trump when he refused to support the latter’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 elections.



Kremlin Says Ukraine Peace Talks in Türkiye Are Still on, but Doesn’t Say Who Is Going 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reacts as he attends a meeting between Russia's President and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Moscow on May 10, 2025, during celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. (AFP)
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reacts as he attends a meeting between Russia's President and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Moscow on May 10, 2025, during celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. (AFP)
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Kremlin Says Ukraine Peace Talks in Türkiye Are Still on, but Doesn’t Say Who Is Going 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reacts as he attends a meeting between Russia's President and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Moscow on May 10, 2025, during celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. (AFP)
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reacts as he attends a meeting between Russia's President and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Moscow on May 10, 2025, during celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. (AFP)

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a Russian delegation will be in Istanbul on Thursday for possible direct peace talks with Ukraine, but did not disclose who would be there from Moscow's side.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in the early hours of Sunday proposed direct negotiations in Türkiye on Thursday "without any preconditions," but he did not say who would attend from Moscow's side.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said he would attend the talks with Russia only if Putin is also there.

Unconfirmed Russian and US media reports have reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy aide, will be in Istanbul and ready to meet their Ukrainian counterparts.

Asked by reporters in a daily briefing on Wednesday if the Kremlin could reveal the make-up of the Russian delegation, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We will do that when we get an instruction to do so from the president."

But Peskov said that Putin's offer of direct talks with Ukraine "remained valid."

"The Russian delegation will be waiting for the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul on May 15", Peskov said.

The planned talks have become the main focus of peace efforts led by US President Donald Trump.

Trump has said he will send Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg to the talks, while also offering to attend himself.