Speaking to reporters via Zoom, Sybiha said discussions conducted under the current format were increasingly yielding diminishing returns, with negotiators repeatedly revisiting the same issues without achieving significant breakthroughs.

“My impression is that this format is gradually reaching the point where discussions possible at this level are becoming exhausted,” Sybiha said. “At times, the same issues end up being discussed several times over.”
His remarks underscore mounting concerns in Kyiv over the pace and effectiveness of diplomatic engagement despite months of US-backed efforts to facilitate dialogue between the two sides.

Sybiha said broader European participation could inject fresh momentum into the negotiations and help overcome obstacles that have stalled progress. He described increased European engagement as one of the key avenues for reinvigorating the peace process.

The foreign minister also reiterated Ukraine’s preference for negotiations at the highest political level, saying a direct meeting involving national leaders remains another potential path forward.

Kyiv has repeatedly advocated leader-level talks as a means of breaking deadlocks that have persisted in lower-level discussions.

The comments come as diplomatic efforts to end Europe’s largest conflict in decades continue to face significant challenges, with both sides maintaining divergent positions on core security and territorial issues.

While the United States has played a central role in facilitating contacts between Kyiv and Moscow, Sybiha’s remarks suggest Ukrainian officials increasingly believe a broader diplomatic framework may be required to generate meaningful progress.

In a statement issued Monday, Milanovic said Israeli diplomat Nissan Amdur “has not received, nor will receive” presidential approval to serve as ambassador in Zagreb.

Amdur was nominated in November to replace Israel’s current envoy to Croatia and is expected to arrive at the end of May in the capacity of chargé d’affaires, a diplomatic role that does not require formal presidential consent, according to Israeli media reports.

“Granting or withholding approval for proposed ambassadors is the sovereign right of the Republic of Croatia,” Milanovic said, while also accusing Israel of violating diplomatic convention by publicly announcing the nominee before Croatian approval had been secured.

The dispute reflects widening divisions within Croatia’s political leadership over the Gaza conflict. Milanovic, a left-leaning president known for outspoken criticism of Israeli military operations in Gaza, has repeatedly condemned the scale of civilian casualties since the outbreak of the war in October 2023.

Croatia’s conservative government has adopted a more supportive stance toward Israel and strongly condemned the Hamas-led attack on Israel that triggered the conflict.

Although Croatia’s president holds largely ceremonial powers, the office retains constitutional authority over the confirmation of foreign ambassadors.

The diplomatic disagreement comes amid continued international scrutiny of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 72,000 people have been killed in the territory since the start of the conflict, with the United Nations and international agencies warning of worsening humanitarian conditions.

Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in October, violence has persisted in Gaza, with Israeli forces and Hamas accusing each other of repeated violations of the truce.

In a statement issued by Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, Guterres said he looked forward to working with the new Iraqi administration to advance the aspirations of the Iraqi people.

The statement said the UN chief remained committed to supporting Iraq in its efforts toward development, governance and long-term stability.

The announcement follows the formation of a new Iraqi government after months of political negotiations and comes at a time when Baghdad faces economic challenges, reconstruction demands and regional security pressures.

The United Nations has maintained a long-standing political and humanitarian presence in Iraq, assisting with institutional development, humanitarian coordination and post-conflict recovery initiatives.

The two-day meeting comes as the expanded BRICS grouping, now comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, faces growing diplomatic strain over the Gulf conflict and its economic fallout.

Iran has urged India, which holds the BRICS chairmanship for 2026, to use the forum to forge a consensus condemning military actions by the United States and Israel, according to officials familiar with preparations for the meeting.

The sharpest divisions have emerged between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which are aligned on opposing sides of the conflict that erupted following military operations launched by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in New Delhi late on Wednesday for the talks, which run through May 15. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also expected to attend, while it remained unclear who would represent the UAE delegation.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said earlier this year that forging consensus within BRICS had become difficult because several member states were directly involved in the conflict.

An Indian government official told Reuters New Delhi remained hopeful that discussions among ministers could still result in a joint communique despite continuing disagreements.

“Glad that the foreign ministers from all the BRICS countries, except China who is otherwise tied up, are coming,” former Indian diplomat Manjeev Singh Puri said. “This is a good sign on efforts to build a BRICS coalition around a matter of interest to emerging economies and the global south.”

China will instead be represented by its ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, as Foreign Minister Wang Yi is not expected to attend due to President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing this week.

The war has intensified pressure on BRICS economies through rising energy costs and market volatility, prompting several member states, including India, to introduce emergency measures aimed at cushioning consumers and stabilizing domestic markets.

China has maintained a publicly neutral position throughout the conflict while balancing close ties with Iran alongside expanding economic and diplomatic relations with Sunni-majority Gulf states.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran’s response focused on what it described as Iran’s “legitimate rights” rather than demands for concessions from Washington.

“We did not demand any concessions. The only thing we demanded was Iran’s legitimate rights,” Baqaei told reporters during a weekly press briefing in Tehran.
According to Baqaei, Iran’s position included calls for “an end to the war in the region,” the lifting of what he described as a U.S. naval blockade and the release of Iranian assets frozen in foreign financial institutions for several years.

Iran has long sought access to billions of dollars in overseas funds restricted under U.S. sanctions, which were intensified after Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement during President Donald Trump’s first administration.

The latest comments come amid heightened tensions across the Middle East, where regional conflicts involving Israel, Iran-aligned groups and U.S. forces have increased diplomatic pressure on Washington and Tehran to prevent wider escalation.

Iranian officials have repeatedly linked broader regional stability to the easing of sanctions and the normalization of economic access, while U.S. officials have maintained pressure over Tehran’s nuclear activities and support for armed groups in the region.

Baqaei did not provide further details about the contents of the U.S. proposal or indicate whether negotiations between the two sides were ongoing.

The remarks come as indirect diplomatic contacts between Tehran and Washington continue against the backdrop of military tensions stretching from Gaza and Lebanon to the Red Sea and Gulf waters.

Addressing troops and military hardware assembled on Moscow’s Red Square for commemorations marking the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, Putin linked Russia’s ongoing military campaign in Ukraine to what the Kremlin has repeatedly described as a struggle against Western influence and military expansion.

“The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the soldiers carrying out the goals of the special military operation today,” Putin said, using Moscow’s official terminology for the war in Ukraine.“They are confronting an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc.

And despite this, our heroes move forward,” he added.Putin also said he believed Russia’s military campaign was justified, declaring: “I firmly believe that our cause is just.”The remarks came during Russia’s annual Victory Day celebrations, one of the country’s most important patriotic events, which the Kremlin has increasingly used to rally domestic support for the war in Ukraine since the conflict began in February 2022.

Russia has repeatedly accused NATO and Western governments of escalating the conflict through military assistance, intelligence sharing and weapons deliveries to Ukraine. NATO members have said their support is aimed at helping Ukraine defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russia’s invasion.

The war has reshaped European security dynamics, prompting increased defense spending across NATO states and the expansion of the alliance with the accession of Finland and Sweden.

Victory Day ceremonies in Moscow have taken on heightened political significance since the start of the conflict, with Russian authorities portraying the war as part of a historic struggle against external threats and Western pressure.

Gleizes, 37, was convicted in June last year for “glorifying terrorism,” a ruling upheld by an appeals court in December. His legal team had initially sought a retrial at the top court, but his mother, Sylvie Godard, said he has now abandoned that effort and is instead appealing directly for clemency from Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

“He is placing himself entirely at the mercy of President Tebboune so that he may show clemency,” Godard told reporters, adding that she had written to the Algerian leader requesting a pardon.

The case comes against a backdrop of strained relations between France and Algeria, which deteriorated after Paris in 2024 endorsed Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a disputed territory where Algiers backs the pro-independence Polisario Front.

Diplomatic ties have shown tentative signs of improvement in recent months, with both countries agreeing in February to resume security cooperation during a visit by French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez to Algiers.

Gleizes was arrested in May 2024 while traveling to the Kabylia region to report on Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie, one of Algeria’s most prominent football clubs. Authorities accused him of contact with an individual linked to the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which Algeria designates as a terrorist organization.

During his appeal hearing, Gleizes said he was unaware the group had been classified as terrorist.President Tebboune has previously granted pardons in sensitive cases involving French nationals, including novelist Boualem Sansal, who was released after serving a year in prison over remarks concerning Western Sahara.

Speaking at a gathering of European leaders in Yerevan, Macron said a joint approach between Washington and Tehran was the only viable path to restoring navigation through the strait, a critical corridor for global energy supplies.

“What we want above all is a coordinated reopening by the United States and Iran that is the only solution,” Macron said, emphasizing the need for diplomatic alignment to ensure safe passage.His remarks come as the U.S. military continues operations aimed at escorting vessels out of the waterway amid heightened regional tensions.

The situation has raised concerns among global energy markets and shipping operators over potential supply disruptions.Macron also reiterated France’s reluctance to engage in military action under uncertain conditions, stating that Paris would not participate in operations lacking a clear framework.

France, alongside the United Kingdom, has been working to build a coalition to secure the strait, contingent on broader de-escalation and stability in the region.

According to an official statement, the exchange focused on developments in the region amid heightened geopolitical tensions, though no further details were provided on specific issues or outcomes of the discussion.

The call comes as countries across the region intensify diplomatic engagement in response to evolving security dynamics linked to the ongoing crisis involving Iran and its broader regional implications.

Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the crew members, who had been aboard the MV Touska, were flown into Pakistan overnight and would be handed over to Iranian authorities later in the day.

The vessel was seized by U.S. forces in the Gulf of Oman after it refused orders to alter its course during heightened maritime tensions linked to the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports since last month, part of broader measures amid escalating conflict with Tehran.A spokesperson for the United States Central Command said earlier that the crew had been repatriated to Pakistan, while Iranian media reported that six crew members had already been released and returned to Iran last week.

Andrabi said the vessel would also be moved to Pakistani territorial waters for repairs before being returned, with coordination involving both U.S. and Iranian authorities. He added that Islamabad welcomed the step and would continue efforts to facilitate dialogue.

The transfer comes as Pakistan positions itself as a mediator between Washington and Tehran. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sunday to discuss regional developments and diplomatic efforts.

Pakistan has hosted discussions between the two sides since February, though recent attempts at negotiations have not yielded a breakthrough. Tensions have remained high, particularly over control of the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. has announced plans to escort commercial vessels in an operation it describes as humanitarian.