Trump says "Great progress is being made" in diplomacy and hostage negotiations

In a Sunday Truth Social post, President Donald Trump said diplomatic efforts were moving forward and that talks involving people being held were underway, while defending a Friday directive suspending some Russia-related penalties. He said he sought peace and did not want to alienate Moscow from negotiations. The directive followed his disclosure of an arrangement to import Russian diesel and drew objections from lawmakers in both parties; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it benefited Russia. Trump also asserted that Zelenskyy was not seeking an end to the fighting, now nearing five years, after a Ukrainian drone assault on St. Petersburg involving over 1,000 aircraft. Zelenskyy replied that Ukraine had not wanted the conflict and blamed Russian attacks. Overnight Sunday, Russian strikes hit over ten Ukrainian power sites, and Zelenskyy said 500,000-plus residents lost electricity, heating and water.