Morning headlines captured the escalating US-China trade war with Trump raising tariffs to 125%. Simultaneously, Russian-American diplomatic negotiations began in Istanbul, focusing on practical issues like visas and direct flights restoration. By mid-morning, news broke about a prisoner exchange between Russia and the US that took place in the UAE, with Putin pardoning US-Russian dual national Ksenia Karelina who was swapped for Arthur Petrov.
The Istanbul talks concluded after six hours, described as "constructive" by the State Department, producing agreements on easing diplomat movement and a roadmap for Russian diplomatic properties in the US. Military reports described Russian forces downing 42 Ukrainian drones overnight and liberating Zhuravka in Sumy region.
By evening, Trump dramatically escalated the trade war, raising Chinese tariffs to 145%, while Russian media highlighted concerns about restricting foreign encryption protocols and potential regulation of AI technologies with "threatening risk levels."