


Peace talks are starting in Istanbul, but who will be there?
Vladimir Putin seems to have developed cold feet
AFTER A WEEK of brinkmanship, Volodymyr Zelensky departed for peace negotiations in Turkey still unsure who he would be talking to. Vladimir Putin stayed silent for nearly four days, before turning down the Ukrainian’s dare of a face-to-face meeting. Pressure on the Russian leader seemed to be mounting even at the eleventh hour, with Donald Trump hinting that he would attend if Mr Putin did, and allies like the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, urging him to “go to Istanbul and negotiate, dammit.”
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Uncertainty and tension ahead of possible Ukraine peace talks
Vladimir Putin has successfully divided Europe and America—again

Ukraine’s European backers challenge Putin to commit to a 30-day ceasefire
Their gambit is as much a test for Donald Trump as the Kremlin

What it means to have an American on the throne of St Peter
By choosing Robert Prevost the cardinals seek unity in a fractured church
To grasp Europe’s fragmentations, look to a 31-year treasure hunt
The Golden Owl is a parable for a changing continent
Portugal heads to the polls for the third time in barely three years
Can a political culture of compromise survive the turbulence?
Berlin’s culture bosses must become more commercial
However distasteful this might seem to them