Trump administration in talks with Capitol Hill to amend the Graham-Blumenthal legislation imposing sweeping sanctions on Russia, including 500% tariffs on countries doing business with Moscow.

Vladimir Medinsky, a former culture minister and Putin aide, has been Moscow’s chief negotiator in talks with Ukraine. Medinsky’s popular history books and his emphasis on “patriotic education” have the strong backing of President Vladimir Putin.

So, Russia and Ukraine are still as far apart as ever, with the two warring countries unable to make a significant breakthrough in direct talks in Istanbul.

U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs may have put an end to the Bank of Japan's rate-hike cycle, with the chance of further interest rate increases fading fast due to the expected hit to exports, former BOJ policymaker Takako Masai said on Thursday.

The German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has arrived in the Ukrainian capital for military aid talks. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has congratulated Russians on Russia Day. DW has the latest.

Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that Ukraine and Russia have exchanged prisoners of war on Monday (9 June), the first swap since the two nations engaged in a second round of peace talks in Istanbul earlier this month.

At least 10 Ukrainian drones were shot down on their approach to Moscow overnight into Sunday morning, according to the city's mayor.