The promised Istanbul peace talks between Russia and Ukraine dominated coverage throughout the day, ultimately taking shape as tripartite meetings after both Putin and Zelensky declined to attend personally. Their delegations exchanged insults, with Zelensky calling Russia's team "decorative" while Moscow labeled him a "clown."
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy's electronic monitoring bracelet was removed as he received conditional release due to his age, marking the end of his house arrest for corruption convictions. Prime Minister François Bayrou faced accusations of lying under oath during his Bétharram abuse testimony, with LFI deputy Paul Vannier claiming Bayrou admitted to "lying" to Parliament.
Other developments included ArcelorMittal announcing a €1.2 billion Dunkerque decarbonization investment while maintaining 600 job cuts, and Olympic swimming champion Yannick Agnel being sent to trial for alleged rape of a 13-year-old.