Russia and Ukraine agree to continue ceasefire talks
CNN
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators agreed that a permanent ceasefire in eastern Ukraine must be observed "unconditionally" following hours-long talks in Paris on Wednesday.
The announcement came after a meeting at the Elysee Palace of the so-called Normandy Format -- a four-way conversation between representatives from Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France -- that has been trying to broker peace in eastern Ukraine since 2014.
Tensions between Moscow and Kiev are at their highest in years, with a large Russian troop build-up near the shared borders of the two former Soviet republics -- spurring fears that Russia could launch an invasion.
President Joe Biden asserted Friday that Hamas has been degraded to a point where it can no longer carry out the type of attack that launched the current 8-month conflict in Gaza, laying out a three-phase proposal Israel has submitted to wind down the grinding crisis as he declared, “It’s time for this war to end.