KYIV — Russia and Ukraine will meet next Monday in Istanbul for a second round of peace talks if the Kremlin produces its promised memorandum of terms for an agreement. After the first round of direct talks on May 16 in Istanbul, Russia and Ukraine agreed to prepare memorandums detailing their conditions for peace.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday about the preparation of "concrete proposals" for a new round of direct talks with Ukraine, the Russian foreign ministry said.

Russia will announce the next round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in the nearest future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday. The neutral status of Ukraine remains one of Russia's key demands in the peace negotiations,

Some of the advanced weapon systems that Kyiv’s allies supplied to Ukraine during the 3-year-old war were subject to range and target restrictions.

The chancellor said earlier there were "no longer" any range restrictions on weapons supplied by Kyiv's Western allies.

Germany announced Wednesday it will strengthen its military relationship with Ukraine with the purchase of long-range missiles produced by Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has met with new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. The talks on Wednesday came amid an escalation in Russia’s bombing campaign despite U.S.

By Sarah Marsh BERLIN (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy landed in Berlin on Wednesday for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, his office said, part of a diplomatic drive to end the war in Ukraine,