Poland is set to hold a presidential runoff election on Sunday between two candidates offering starkly different visions for the country’s future. The winner will succeed President Andrzej Duda, a conservative who is finishing his second and final term.

A bipartisan pair of US senators met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday and urged stronger sanctions against Russia, while uncertainty swirls over whether the next round of peace talks will move ahead in the coming days.

Credit ratings agency Moody's affirmed Ukraine's 'Ca' rating on Friday, citing the long-lasting impact of the war with Russia on its economy and finances, as well as uncertainties over peace negotiations with Moscow.

A Ukraine presidential adviser says Ukraine is ready to resume direct peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday but insists that the Kremlin provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the war.

With Russia saying its terms for peace must remain secret until the talks begin, Ukraine won’t confirm whether its delegation will even attend.

China on Saturday criticised as a "double standard" attempts to link the defence of Ukraine with the need to protect Taiwan from a Chinese invasion - a thinly veiled reference to a speech by French Emmanuel Macron in Singapore on Friday night.

A bipartisan duo met with the Ukrainian president and made the case for Congress to impose harsh economic penalties on Moscow for its continuing offensive.

Russia dramatically intensified missile and drone attacks across Ukraine this month in an effort to sap Ukrainians’ morale – but it is also stepping up ground attacks in many areas along the long frontline,

Kyiv said it was committed to the search for peace, but that it was waiting for a memorandum from the Russian side setting out their proposals.

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