内容摘要：The latest kidnap drama came at an inopportune time for the minister who oversees France’s security services, because his hardline rhetoric on crime and immigration faces an important test this weekend. Retailleau is hoping that a vote by members of the conservative Republicans party will elect him as its leader. A win could help position Retailleau for an eventual tilt at the French presidency in 2027, when Macron’s second and last term ends.

The latest kidnap drama came at an inopportune time for the minister who oversees France’s security services, because his hardline rhetoric on crime and immigration faces an important test this weekend. Retailleau is hoping that a vote by members of the conservative Republicans party will elect him as its leader. A win could help position Retailleau for an eventual tilt at the French presidency in 2027, when Macron’s second and last term ends.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier welcomed Zelenskyy to the presidential palace in Ankara for their own talks. Zelenskyy heads Friday to Albania for a gathering of European officials.Ayse Sahil, whose family emigrated from Bolshevik in Russia, holds a board near Dolmabahce palace where talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Dilara Acikgoz)

Ayse Sahil, whose family emigrated from Bolshevik in Russia, holds a board near Dolmabahce palace where talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Dilara Acikgoz)The diplomatic maneuvering began Saturday when European leaders met Zelenskyy in Kyiv and urged the Kremlin to agree to aas a first step toward peace. Putin responded early Sunday by

with Ukraine in Istanbul. Then came Zelenskyy’s challenge to Putin for face-to-face talks.After days of silence, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov finally said Thursday that Putin had no plans to travel to Istanbul in the next few days.

Trump said he was not surprised that Putin was a no-show. He had pressed for Putin and Zelenskyy to meet but brushed off the Kremlin leader’s decision not to attend.

“I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there,” Trump told reporters in Doha, Qatar, on the third day of his visit to the Middle East.To his critics, Simion is a pro-Russian extremist who threatens Romania’s longstanding alliances in the European Union and NATO. But in an AP interview last week, he rejected the accusations, saying Russia is his country’s biggest threat, and that he wants Romania to be treated as “equal partners” in Brussels.

“Some fake news were saying that we want to exit the European project,” he said. “Tough luck.”Most recent local surveys indicate the runoff has narrowed to a near tie, after earlier ones showed Simion holding a lead over Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician who rose to prominence as a civic activist fighting against illegal real estate projects.

Dan founded the reformist Save Romania Union party in 2016 but later left, and is running independently on a pro-EU ticket, reaffirming Western ties, support for Ukraine, and fiscal reform. At a rally in Bucharest on Sunday, he also addressed the growing tensions.“How did it come to this, that in a country with hardworking, decent people, there is so much hatred and division, that families and circles of friends are torn apart over political opinions,” he said. “We need to project hope.”