US and Russia Restart High-Level Military Talks as Ukraine War Persists

The U.S. and Russia agreed to reestablish high-level military dialogue for the first time in more than four years, aiming to ease tensions and push toward peace in Ukraine, following talks in Abu Dhabi that included Ukrainian officials. A prisoner exchange occurred: Russia freed 157 servicemen and 3 nationals, while Ukraine freed 150 servicemen and 7 civilians. Meanwhile, fighting continues along the front, with Russia targeting Ukraine’s power grid; Zelenskyy cites about 55,000 Ukrainian troops killed and Human Rights Watch notes rising civilian casualties, as NATO-aligned concerns over airspace and surveillance persist and Starlink disruptions complicate communications.