Recent statements by world leaders demonstrate the difficulty of simultaneously resolving several international crises. Against the backdrop of negotiations over the war in Ukraine, attention is growing to the issue of abducted children, which is seen as an important indicator of Russia’s readiness to implement future agreements. Washington claims that peace remains achievable, despite the protracted war. Meanwhile, the escalation around Iran continues in the Middle East, adding new tension to the global security situation.
Return of abducted children as a key condition for peace in Ukraine
The issue of the return of Ukrainian children who have been forcibly removed by Russia or are being held in occupied territories is increasingly seen as one of the main tests of the reality of peace negotiations. Materials devoted to this topic emphasize that tens of thousands of children remain unidentified after being forcibly transferred to the Russian Federation or under its control. In addition, an estimated 1.6 million children live in temporarily occupied territories, where the Russian authorities have established a system of indoctrination, militarization, and legal status changes. These practices include educational programs, youth organizations, and procedures for obtaining Russian citizenship.
Authors said, that the return of children is a clear and verifiable requirement of international law and could be an important step in testing Russia’s readiness to implement any future agreements. Despite this, the draft peace plan being discussed between Ukraine, the United States, and its allies only briefly mentions the topic, without a specific mechanism for return or reintegration. The article emphasizes that Russia continues to deny the illegal detention of children, despite abundant evidence and arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. It is also noted that the systems of forced assimilation and military education can create long-term risks to security and stability.
Trump said that he sees no evidence of Russian assistance to Iran
US President Donald Trump said, that he has no evidence that Russia is providing assistance to Iran during the American-Israeli military operation. Answering questions from journalists on board the presidential plane, he noted:
"No, I have no reason. I have no reason to believe so."
Thus, the head of the White House rejected the assumption of active support for Tehran by Moscow in this conflict.
At the same time, Trump added that even if some assistance is provided, it does not have a significant effect.
"If they are helping, they are doing it badly, because things are not going very well for Iran right now," he said.
His statement came amid continued tensions in the Middle East after US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. The president's comments were in response to journalists' questions about possible military coordination between Moscow and Tehran.
Iran says it is ready to stop strikes on neighbors
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, Tehran is ready to stop strikes on Gulf countries if attacks against Iran are not launched from their territory. In an address to the nation, he apologized to neighboring countries that were hit by missile strikes.
"I personally apologize to the neighboring countries that were attacked by Iran," the president said in a broadcast on state television. He also stressed:
"We have no intention of attacking neighboring countries. As I have said many times, they are our brothers."
Pezeshkian said that Iran's interim ruling council has ordered the military not to strike neighboring countries unless the attacks are carried out from their territory.
"I think we need to resolve this through diplomacy, not war and conflicts with our neighbors," he said. At the same time, he called on the Gulf states not to become "a toy in the hands of imperialism."
Despite the president's statement, after the speech, new missile interceptions over the United Arab Emirates and air alert signals in Bahrain were reported.
Trump said that the destruction of Iran's military infrastructure
US President Donald Trump said, that the US military during operations against Iran caused significant losses to its military infrastructure. According to the American leader, the strikes led to the destruction of a significant part of Iran's fleet, aviation and communication systems.
“We took out 42 naval ships, some of them very large, in three days. That was the end of their fleet. We took out their air force. We took out their communications, and all the telecommunications are gone,” Trump said.
He also claims that the US strikes prevented Iran from getting close to a nuclear weapon.
“They were very close to a nuclear weapon. They would have had one if we hadn’t carried out our B-2 strike – Midnight Hammer. They would have had one eight months ago,” the president said.
According to Trump, the scale of the military operation can be assessed as "a 15 on a scale of 1 to 10." Against the background of these statements, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized to the Gulf countries for the missile strikes, but Trump called Iran a "loser" and warned of the possibility of new strikes.
The White House said that peace between Ukraine and Russia remains achievable
The administration of US President Donald Trump continues to consider it possible to end the war between Ukraine and Russia through diplomatic means. This was reported by White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt during a conversation with reporters near the presidential residence. She noted:
"I think the president would say that peace is still an achievable goal regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war."
According to her, the US administration continues to work on relevant diplomatic initiatives.
Levitt also drew attention to the prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, which was previously reported by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
“You saw Special Envoy Witkoff tweet yesterday announcing a new prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. So that’s something this administration still wants to see,” she said.
The spokeswoman stressed that the US president intends to continue working on diplomatic mechanisms for a settlement. When asked about Donald Trump’s possible disappointment with Vladimir Putin’s actions, she said the president would speak out on the matter personally.
Photo: forbes.ua
Author: Danylo Pievchev