By KAREEM CHEHAYEB and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press
Lebanon and Israel have held direct diplomatic talks for the first time in decades. Tuesday's more than two-hour meeting at the State Department came after more than a month of conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the talks a "historic opportunity," while Israel's ambassador to the U.S. hailed what he called a convergence of opinion about removing Hezbollah's influence from Lebanon. Hezbollah opposed the direct talks and wasn't represented. There was no immediate comment from the Lebanese side. The Lebanese government hopes the talks will lead to an end to the war, which has killed over 2,000 people there.
Russian strikes on Ukraine have killed at least eight people across the country. The attacks on Friday include a "massive" missile and drone strike near the capital, regional authorities reported. Ukrainian officials claimed the Kremlin is changing its tactics to increase civilian suffering. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled Kyiv's openness to a potential Easter truce. The holiday is celebrated on April 12 in both Ukraine and Russia. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that Moscow is not interested in a temporary ceasefire.
Russia's Defense Ministry claims its forces have taken control of the entire Luhansk region in Ukraine. However, a Ukrainian military official denies this, stating that small areas are still held by Ukrainian forces. Russia has previously made false claims of advances. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is preparing for talks with U.S. envoys trying to mediate an end to the conflict. A Russian drone strike killed four people in Ukraine's Cherkasy region on Wednesday. Ukraine's air force says it downed 298 drones in overnight attacks.
Russia has unleashed a massive drone and missile barrage on civilian areas of Ukraine and is stepping up ground attacks along the front. Ukrainian officials said Tuesday the aerial strikes have killed six people and injured at least 46. Ukraine's air force says Russia fired nearly 400 long-range drones overnight, plus cruise and ballistic missiles. Ukraine's military commander says Russia is trying to break through front-line defenses in several key areas. The Institute for the Study of War says the spring-summer offensive appears underway. Ukraine leans on advanced drones to offset troop shortages. It also seeks more Patriot missiles to blunt the air campaign.
With U.S.-brokered Ukraine peace talks on hold due to the war in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to try to expand his military gains via new offensives against his southern neighbor that will put even more pressure on Kyiv. Windfall revenues from surging global oil prices are filling Moscow's war coffers and U.S. air defense assets are being drained quickly by Iranian attacks across the Gulf, leaving little available for Ukraine in the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion. Ukraine's European allies have promised to maintain their steadfast support, but bickering over a major 90 billion euro ($106 billion) European Union loan to cover Kyiv's military and economic needs for two years has reflected the mounting challenges.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says there's no imminent threat to the state from Iran. ABC News says the FBI warned California that Iran had aspired to send drones to the West Coast in retaliation for war. The FBI later released text of the alert, which noted that the information was based on "unverified information." The White House now says, "No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists." Newsom says California and various agencies plan for worst-case scenarios. Police in Los Angeles and San Francisco say they are monitoring world events for any risks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Russia has not "broken Ukrainians" nor triumphed in its war. He spoke Tuesday four years after an invasion that has severely tested the resolve of Kyiv and its allies and fueled European fears about the scale of Moscow's ambitions. In a show of support, more than a dozen senior European officials headed to the Ukrainian capital to mark the grim anniversary. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, upended life for millions of Ukrainians, and created instability far beyond its borders. Zelenskyy said his country has withstood the onslaught by Russia's bigger and better equipped army. He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "not achieved his goals."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago launched Europe's biggest conflict since World War II. It has caused immense suffering for civilians and harrowing ordeals for soldiers while rewriting the post-Cold War security order. The fighting enters its fifth year on Tuesday. A U.S.-based think tank says that as many as 1.8 million soldiers may have been killed, injured or missing on both sides. Another think tank says Russia controls nearly 20% of Ukrainian land. The U.N. says at least 14,999 civilians have been killed in Ukraine.
By JAMEY KEATEN and ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press
The latest U.S.-brokered talks between envoys from Moscow and Kyiv over Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine have ended with no sign of a breakthrough. Both sides said Wednesday the talks were "difficult," as the war's fourth anniversary approaches next week. The negotiations in Switzerland were the third round of direct talks organized by the U.S., after meetings earlier this year in Abu Dhabi that officials described as constructive but which also made no major headway. Expectations for significant progress in Geneva were low. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of "trying to drag out negotiations" while it presses on with its invasion.
