Ukraine holds third meeting with U.S. delegation in Paris

The Ukrainian and U.S. delegations held another round of consultations in Paris on Wednesday to discuss an end to the almost four-year-old conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

It was the third meeting within two days between the Ukrainian and U.S. representatives in Paris.

Rustem Umerov, head of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation and secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said on Wednesday that he had engaged in this round of talks with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The talks centered on key issues concerning the basic framework for ending the war, with particular attention to possible forms of future engagement between the leaders of Ukraine, European partners and the United States.

During a visit to Cyprus on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that talks with Western allies have reached a new level. Zelensky said that Ukraine, along with its European partners, the United States, and all participants in the Coalition of the Willing, are working together towards a resolution. He further suggested that the talks might reach a significant milestone within the first half of 2026 when Cyprus is holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Ukraine holds third meeting with U.S. delegation in Paris

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday chaired a State Council executive meeting during which arrangements were made to implement a package of policies that will boost domestic demand by leveraging coordinated fiscal and financial measures.

The meeting noted that the package is an important measure to expand effective demand and innovate the approaches of macro-control.

Efforts should be made to refine loan interest subsidy policies for businesses in the services sector and personal consumption, aiming to expand the supply of high-quality services and boost household purchasing power, the meeting said.

It said that loan interest subsidy policies will be implemented for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, with an eye to bolstering private investment, and to lowering financing thresholds and costs for companies.

It stressed that basic public services should be provided based on an individual's place of permanent residence. Efforts will be made to address the most pressing concerns of permanent residents without a local household registration, and on improving their access to education, healthcare and employment services.

Chinese premier stresses coordination of fiscal, financial policies to boost demand