Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks End Abruptly

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pictured in Munich on Feb.14 2026. Credit - Sven Hoppe—Getty Images

The second day of peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Geneva ended abruptly Wednesday morning, after just two hours of discussions.

Ahead of the sit-down, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hadremarkedupon the "difficult" first day of negotiations, which lasted six hours, and accused Russia of stalling progress.

"We can state that Russia is trying to drag out negotiations that could already have reached the final stage," he said. "I set a clear task for the Ukrainian delegation—to do everything possible so that the negotiations are nonetheless productive and increase the chances for peaceful solutions."

After the talks ended, Zelenskyreportedlytold members of the press over WhatsApp: "We can see that progress has been made, but for now, positions differ because the negotiations were difficult."

Rustem Umerov, head of the on-site Ukrainian delegation, also delivered a briefstatement, describing the discussions as "intensive and substantive."

"Within the delegation, both political and military tracks were engaged, and security parameters and mechanisms for implementing possible decisions were discussed. A number of issues were clarified, while others remained under additional coordination," he said.

Russia's chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, similarly described the talks as "difficult, but businesslike," adding that "the next meeting will take place soon."

During a White House press briefing Wednesday afternoon, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said "meaningful progress" had been made and reiterated that "another round of talks" will take place in the future. An exact date was not given.

TIME has reached out to the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministries for further comment.

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Security guarantees andproposed land concessionsremain at the heart of the Ukraine-Russia stalemate. Moscow is fighting for Ukraine to give up parts of the Donbas region that Ukrainian forcesstill control. Ukraine has repeatedly rejected any such land concessions.

The U.S. mediation team—led by Special EnvoySteve Witkoffand Jared Kushner,President Donald Trump's son-in-law—are expected to largely focus on these territorial disputes when talks resume.

The Geneva negotiations had already been somewhat overshadowed byrenewedfighting. Zelensky said Russia launched a missile strike on the same day talks began.

"Russia greets with a strike even the very day new formats begin in Geneva—trilateral and bilateral with the United States. This very clearly shows what Russia wants and what it is truly intent on," he said, urging U.S. officials to press Moscow to refrain from further attacks.

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Meanwhile, ZelenskytoldAxios on Tuesday that it was "not fair" for Trump to have publicly called on Ukraine to make concessions for peace. He said he hoped those remarks were "his tactics and not the decision."

By contrast, Zelensky said his conversations with Kushner and Witkoff do not involve that kind of pressure. "We respect each other," Zelensky said, adding that he is not a person who folds easily.

When asked about Zelensky's remarks at the White House press briefing on Wednesday, Leavitt said: "I think the President would respond to that by saying he does not think it's fair that thousands of Ukrainians are losing their lives, and Russians too, in this deadly war... the President views this entire situation as very unfair."

Zelensky's comments came after Trumptoldreporters at the White House on Feb. 13: "Russia wants to make a deal and Zelensky is going to have to get moving. Otherwise, he's going to miss a great opportunity."

On Feb. 16, the day before the peace talks in Geneva, Trump revisited the topic once more,tellingreporters aboard Air Force One: "Ukraine better come to the table, fast. That's all I'm telling you. We are in a position, we want them to come."

Progress stalls as fourth anniversary of Russian invasion looms

Next week marks the fourth anniversary ofRussia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With another round of peace talks ending abruptly, and little sign of compromise over key issues such as land concessions, a stable peace agreement remains elusive.

Ahead of returning to the White House, Trump vowed to end the Ukraine-Russia conflict on his first day back.

In an April 2025 interview with TIME marking his first100 daysback in office, Trump said the24-hour timelinehad been "said in jest" but emphasized the war "will be ended." Trump added that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had shared "very good talks" and a deal was "very close." That deal has yet to materialize.

While the U.S. has stayed on as mediators between the two warring countries, tensions between the Trump Administration and Ukrainian leadership have, at times, proved distracting.

During aheated Oval Office exchangein February last year, Vice President J.D. Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful. Trump seemingly agreed, telling the Ukrainian leader: "You don't hold the cards… You're gambling with World War III!"

In a March 2025interviewwith TIME, Zelensky suggested the moment reflected a broader pattern and claimed that U.S. officials had begun taking Putin at his word. "I believe Russia has managed to influence some people on the White House team through information," Zelensky said. "Their signal to the Americans was that the Ukrainians do not want to end the war, and something should be done to force them."

Since then, significant shifts have taken place.Trump urged Ukraine to abandonit's long-sought efforts to join NATO, Kyiv signed anagreement granting the U.S. preferential accessto new Ukrainian minerals, and the Trump Administration shared a28-point planfor peace. The widely-leaked proposal reportedly included calls for Kyiv to reduce its army and make territorial concessions—terms Ukraine swiftly rejected, as they have done before. It has since been revised following talks with both camps.

Trump, in January, also invited Russia to join his Gaza Board of Peace—a move that sparked concernamong European leaders. Notably, when Trump previously floated the idea of allowing Russia to rejointhe G7, Zelensky warned it would lift the most concrete punishment Putin has faced since the invasion: isolation. "That's a big compromise," Zelensky told TIME last year. "Imagine releasing Hitler from his political isolation."

Contact usatletters@time.com.

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 18, 2026

Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks End Abruptly

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pictured in Munich on Feb.14 2026. Credit - Sven Hoppe—Getty Images ...

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Study finds that dangerous days when weather is prone to fire soaring around the world

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of days when theweather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to sparkextreme wildfires— has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even higher in the Americas, a new study shows.

Climate Wildfire Weather

And more than half of that increase is caused byhuman-caused climate change, researchers calculated.

What this means is that as the world warms, more places across the globe are prone to go up in flames at the same time because of increasingly synchronous fire weather, which is when multiple places have the right conditions to go up in smoke. Countries may not have enough resources to put out all the fires popping up and help won't be as likely to come from neighbors busy with their own flames, according to the authors of a study in Wednesday's Science Advances.

In 1979 and for the next 15 years, the world averaged 22 synchronous fire weather days a year for flames that stayed within large global regions, the study found. In 2023 and 2024, it was up to more than 60 days a year.

"These sorts of changes that we have seen increase the likelihood in a lot of areas that there will be fires that are going to be very challenging to suppress," said study co-author John Abatzoglou, a fire scientist at the University of California, Merced.

The researchers didn't look at actual fires, but the weather conditions: warm, with strong winds anddry air and ground.

"It increases the likelihood of widespread fire outbreaks, but the weather is one dimension," said study lead author Cong Yin, a fire researcher at University of California, Merced. The other big ingredients to fires are oxygen, fuel such as trees and brush, and ignition such as lightning or arson or human accidents.

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This study is important because extreme fire weather is the primary — but not only — factor in increasing fire impacts across the globe, said fire scientist Mike Flannigan of Thompson Rivers University in Canada, who wasn't part of the study. And it's also important because regions that used to have fire seasons at different times and could share resources are now overlapping, he said.

Abatzoglou said: "And that's where things begin to break."

More than 60% of the global increase in synchronous fire weather days can be attributed to climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, Yin said. He and his colleagues know this because they used computer simulations to compare what's happened in the last 45 years to a fictional world without the increased greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels.

The continental United States, from 1979 to 1988, averaged 7.7 synchronous fire weather days a year. But in the last 10 years that average was up to 38 days a year, according to Yin.

But that is nothing compared to the southern half of South America. That region averaged 5.5 synchronous fire weather days a year from 1979 to 1988; over the last decade, that's risen to 70.6 days a year, including 118 days in 2023.

Of 14 global regions, only Southeast Asia saw a decrease in synchronous fire weather, probably because it is getting more humid there, Yin said.

The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP'sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 18, 2026

Study finds that dangerous days when weather is prone to fire soaring around the world

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of days when theweather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to sparkextreme wildfires— has near...

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Indonesia, US firms sign over $7 billion in trade, investment deals

WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Indonesian and U.S. companies on Wednesday signed trade ‌and investment deals valued at more ‌than $7 billion a day ahead of Indonesian President ​Prabowo Subianto's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to sign a final trade deal, the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council said.

The agreements, ‌signed at a ⁠dinner for Prabowo hosted by the Chamber, include purchases by ⁠Indonesian firms of 1 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans, 1.6 million tons ​of corn, ​and 93,000 tons ​of cotton over ‌unspecified periods, according to a U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) fact sheet.

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It added that Indonesia will buy 1 million tons of wheat this year and up to 5 ‌million tons by 2030.

The ​deals include a memorandum ​of understanding between ​U.S. mining group Freeport McMoRan ‌and the Indonesian Ministry ​of Investment ​for critical minerals cooperation and an agreement between state oil producer Pertamina ​and Halliburton ‌Co to cooperate on oilfield recovery, ​USABC said.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing ​by Himani Sarkar)

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 18, 2026

Indonesia, US firms sign over $7 billion in trade, investment deals

WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Indonesian and U.S. companies on Wednesday signed trade ‌and investment deals valued at m...

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U2's new music honors Renee Good and draws inspiration from world events

LOS ANGELES (AP) —U2is returning with its first collection of new songs in nearly a decade, opening with a tribute toRenee Good, the Minnesota momfatally shotby a federal agent during this winter's massive immigration crackdown.

Music - U2

The Irish rock band released the six-song EP "U2 - Days of Ash" on Wednesday. Its first track, "American Obituary," is dedicated toGood, who died Jan. 7 in Minneapolis duringan encounter with a Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.The song is a call for peace and a dedication to Good's life.

"Renee didn't just believe in kindness; she lived it, fully and fiercely," said Becca Good, her partner, in a statement released with the project. "She believed every person deserved the same compassion, care and dignity regardless of who they were."

The band released the EP onAsh Wednesday, describing it as an immediate response to current events and inspired by the people "fighting on the front lines of freedom."

FrontmanBonohas frequently incorporated social themes into U2's music, and the new songs maintain that approach. Some tracks reference international tensions and humanitarian concerns, including thewar in Ukraine,developments in the Middle East and immigration debates in the United States. One song also mentions Palestinian activistAwdah Hathaleen, whose death last year in the Israeli-occupied West Bank drew international attention.

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The project marks U2's first major release of new original material since 2017's"Songs of Experience,"although the band has remained active through touring and rerecorded projects in recent years.

Antonio Romanucci, an attorney representing Good's family in a civil case connected to her death, said the tribute reflects a broader message.

"We certainly feel the urgency of the country's situation reflected in the band's powerful call for coming together," he said in a statement.

Throughout its career, U2 has used its platform to highlight issues ranging from global poverty initiatives to human rights advocacy. The EP was released alongside lyric videos for each track and is available on major streaming platforms.

Good's parents and siblings also described the song as an honor and said they hope it encourages reflection and unity.

"It's an incredible honor to have the talent and impact of U2 spreading the message of peace in Renee's name," the statement read. "We certainly feel the urgency of the country's situation reflected in the band's powerful call for change and coming together."

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 18, 2026

U2's new music honors Renee Good and draws inspiration from world events

LOS ANGELES (AP) —U2is returning with its first collection of new songs in nearly a decade, opening with a tribute toRen...

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Riviera has a long history and a long par 3 for Genesis Invitational

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Riviera has evolved over its 100 years as one of the best golf courses in America, no greater example than the fourth hole that now has a scorecard yardage of 273 yards that makes it the longest par 3 among regular PGA Tour stops.

Pebble Beach Golf

Not everyone likes the change, or has been willing to publicly say they do.

"A horrible change," Rory McIlroy said, the most blunt assessment of the hole Ben Hogan once called the greatest par 3 in America.

"Hit and hope," Collin Morikawa said. "I think it's just a very long par 3. There's not a lot of thought to it other than just kind of hitting the green and moving on, unfortunately."

The other change for the Genesis Invitational, which starts Thursday, is adding 24 yards on the 18th tee — now roughly where the fourth tee used to be — to make it 499 yards.

Someone forgot to tell Scottie Scheffler, or maybe he never looked. He didn't realize the closing hole at Riviera had been lengthened until he climbed the steep hill to the fairway and wondered why he was having to hit a 4-iron to the green.

What hasn't changed at Riviera is the history. Hogan won three times, including the U.S. Open, leading to the nickname "Hogan's Alley." Byron Nelson and Sam Snead won at Riviera, as did Tom Watson and Johnny Miller and Fred Couples.

McIlroy has Riviera on his list of places he wants to win, now that he has won at Augusta National and Pebble Beach.

Equally noteworthy is who didn't win. Tiger Woods, the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational, went 0 for 11 as a pro at Riviera, making it the PGA Tour course he played the most times without ever winning.

Jack Nicklaus has Woods beat again. He played Riviera 14 times — twice in majors, including a runner-up to Hal Sutton in the 1983 PGA Championship — without winning.

"There's places I haven't won that I would love to, St. Andrews being one of them. Riviera would be another," McIlroy said.

This is the 100-year anniversary of the club and the tournament, though what began as the Los Angeles Open was not held at Riviera until 1929. Even more special is just being back at the fabled course off Sunset Boulevard following the devastating Pacific Palisades wildfires last year that led the tournament to moving south to Torrey Pines.

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Ludvig Aberg won the Genesis Invitational a year ago at Torrey Pines. This is only his second time competing at Riviera, but he liked what he saw from 2024.

"I think it's one of the best golf courses we play all year," Aberg said. "Obviously it's a small property. It's not crazy long. You'll have some strong holes and some longer par 4s. But what I like about it is a hole like No. 10 kind of puts the stamp on this golf course in terms of working the angles, fast greens, and everything going down towards the ocean is really quick and you have to place your second shots into the greens.

"That's the part about this golf course that I really like, and that's why you'll see a lot of different good players winning here."

The par-4 10th is the most famous hole, reachable off the tee and yet no one ever complains about making a 4 and moving on to the next hole. It's all about angles off the tee with an iron, and even where to miss when trying to drive the green.

As for the fourth hole, that was long and hard, and now it appears to be longer and harder.

The idea for his Redan-styled hole is to carry the bunker fronting the green, or using the shoulder on the right that feeds down to the green — except this is February, cold and usually damp, and the kikuyu grass can be sticky and not allow balls to roll.

This would explain McIlroy's definition of "horrible change."

"Well, like 15% of the field hit the green last time when it was played at its original yardage at 230," he said. "If you want it to be a 275-yard par 3, you have to change the apron leading up onto the green. It can't be kikuyu, it has to be another type of grass that can help you run it onto the green because again, in the right conditions, you try to fly that ball on the green with a 3 iron, it's going to finish up on the fifth tee box.

"That's sort of what I mean by why it's not a great change."

U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun might borrow a page from his college coach at San Diego State.

"If this was a par 4, you'd make 3 every time," Spaun said. "You know what I mean? It's kind of a mindset. If this was a drivable 290-yard hole but really a par 4 and you didn't walk away with a birdie, you'd be kicking yourself."

AP golf:https://apnews.com/hub/golf

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 18, 2026

Riviera has a long history and a long par 3 for Genesis Invitational

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Riviera has evolved over its 100 years as one of the best golf courses in America, no greater example...

Read More