The Kremlin has refused to confirm whether Emmanuel Macron's senior French diplomat, Emmanuel Bonne, recently traveled to Moscow for secret talks with Russian officials. According to French newspaper l’Express and Bloomberg, Bonne held several face-to-face meetings, including one with Vladimir Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. These talks are said to be part of Europe's attempt to get closer to peace negotiations on Ukraine. However, the Kremlin commented today that it would neither confirm nor deny the meetings, adding that “French sources are very fond of leaking to the media,” as reported by Reuters. Peace talks over Ukraine remain difficult, mainly due to Russia's strong demands for territory in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. Kyiv has refused to give up these lands but is open to some troop withdrawals and demilitarized zones. The US is pressuring Ukraine to accept territorial changes in exchange for security promises. Besides territory, Russia opposes European troops in Ukraine and wants Ukraine's military size limited, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejects. Meanwhile, in Italy, US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Milan for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony, amid controversy over the involvement of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in his security. President Zelenskyy also shared on French TV that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the conflict, warning that losing the war means losing Ukraine’s independence and that Russian threats could extend to other European countries. Today, trilateral talks on the Ukraine war resumed in Abu Dhabi, with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev claiming progress despite Western interference. Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited Kyiv to show support amid ongoing energy shortages. EU leaders are also set to meet French President Macron to discuss upcoming EU summit plans on competitiveness.