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Mercosur and Canada resume free trade agreement negotiations after years of impasse

  What is happening between Mercosur and Canada? After more than a decade of stalled talks, the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) and Canada announced in September 2025 the formal resumption of negotiations for a free trade agreement. The decision was confirmed at a meeting between representatives of the two blocs during the United Nations General Assembly in New York and represents a strategic step toward strengthening economic ties between South and North America. This move is not just symbolic: it could pave the way for one of the largest trade agreements in the South American region in recent years, with direct impacts on the economies of millions of people—from farmers to small business owners. Why does this agreement matter? A free trade agreement between Mercosur and Canada has the potential to eliminate or reduce tariffs on thousands of products, facilitate investment, increase business competitiveness, and generate new job opportunities. For ord...
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Putin Wants Peace? Russia Proposes Ceasefire, Meeting with Zelensky Gains Momentum


 During a new round of negotiations held on Monday (2) in Istanbul, Russia handed over to the Ukrainian delegation a memorandum with the terms demanded by Moscow for a complete ceasefire. The information was disclosed by Vladimir Medinsky, Kremlin advisor and head of the Russian negotiating team. According to Medinsky, among the proposals discussed, one of them foresees a temporary truce of two to three days in certain conflict areas. The Russian news agency RIA detailed that two main suggestions were presented for the suspension of the fighting. The first alternative requires that Ukrainian forces completely leave four regions that Moscow claims as part of its territory. The second proposal is linked to a broader agreement, which would include a series of conditions previously defined by the Russians. The Ukrainian delegation confirmed receipt of the document, but stated that there was not yet enough time for a full analysis of its content. "Until now, we have not received any formal communication about this memorandum. It was presented only during today's meeting," explained Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's chief negotiator in the talks.

Also during the meeting, representatives of the two countries reached an agreement on a new prisoner exchange. The operation will mainly focus on people with serious injuries and detainees under the age of 25. In addition, it was agreed to repatriate the remains of soldiers killed in combat.

Medinsky said that Russia intends to return about 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen to the Kiev authorities as part of the humanitarian negotiations. Umerov argued that the main points of the possible peace agreement can only be discussed directly between the leaders of the two countries. He proposed that a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin take place between June 20 and 30.

“We believe that the main impasses should be resolved only at the highest level. Such a meeting could also include the presence of international leaders, such as the President of the United States,” suggested the Ukrainian negotiator.Turkey wants to mediate meeting between Putin, Zelensky and Trump

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that he will try to organize a meeting between the heads of state of Russia and Ukraine. In a statement, he said that he also intends to invite former US President Donald Trump to participate in the meeting.

“My intention is to bring Putin and Zelensky together, either in Istanbul or Ankara. I also want to include Trump in this conversation. We will take steps as soon as the last rounds of negotiations are concluded,” Erdogan said.

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