President Putin meets with US negotiators
On September 5 (local time), according to TASS news agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with two US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss the Ukraine issue. The meeting lasted 3 hours and 10 minutes.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Putin said that US President Donald Trump is continuing efforts to contribute to resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Russian leader said he understands that President Trump is in a difficult situation, but will continue to promote efforts to resolve the conflict.
Mr. Putin said the discussion with the US side will cover all aspects of the conflict. "We are ready to inform you of how we see the situation," he said.
Previously, Russian Presidential Assistant Yury Ushakov described the discussion as substantive, constructive, extremely frank and taking place in a spirit of trust. According to him, particularly serious issues were discussed both at the desk and in the informal meeting at the dining table.
The Russian side has not announced details of the specific contents discussed by the two sides.
Israel plans to narrow control in southern Lebanon
On the same day, Israel is preparing a plan to reduce forces in southern Lebanon and establish a narrower security zone along the border, according to TASS, citing state television channel Kan.
Sources said that Israeli forces may withdraw to positions about 3-4km from the border, instead of the current area of about 10km wide.
The new plan is called the "Gray Road", expected to replace the current "Golden Road". The plan still needs to be approved by Israeli political leaders before implementation.
The plan was launched after the Israeli military announced control of 2 Hezbollah underground routes in the Ali al-Taher mountainside area, near Nabatieh in southern Lebanon.
Fuel tanker truck explosion kills 11 people
In another development, at least 11 people were killed and 7 injured when a fuel tanker exploded in a traffic accident in western Iran on September 5, according to the state news agency IRIB.
The incident occurred on the inter-provincial road connecting Sanandaj district of Kurdistan province with Hamedan district of Hamedan province.
The explosion caused some nearby vehicles to catch fire. Rescue teams have taken the injured to a hospital in Sanandaj.
Rescue work continues to be deployed at the scene. Iranian authorities have not announced further information about the specific cause of the accident.
