Daniela,

it might sound strange for somebody like me to say something like the following, and is likely to cause serious concerns for people like…

Daniela,

it might sound strange for somebody like me to say something like the following, and is likely to cause serious concerns for people like you....but....sigh....I can't help it: I have completely stopped following such news. I.e. news about 'diplomatic efforts', 'negotiations' etc.

If it happens I mention anything, then because I've 'caught a glimpse' of one or another report.

Why that?

Because it's pointless. Putin is quasi-negotiating all the time. He's not interested in any kind of negotiatiosn and nothing of that's going to change until the RFA is defeated in Ukraine.

What are all the possible of talkingheads in his PR-machinery babbling - is entirely irrelevant: none of them has a single letter to say in Putin's decisionmaking.

It's nothing better on the 'other/Western' side: Gigabites per second are wasted in pointless babbling; idiotic talking-heads (whether politicians or media) are profiling themselves with glorious statments, while actually all are guessing, supposing and having no clue even what to say.

That all is such a pointless exercise, can't say, and can't stand it any more.

Thus, let me address only your third question: the situation is different from one oblast to another. Men in Luhansk and Donbas have all been taken away by the RFA and forced to fight. Regardless if trained or not, able-bodied or not. The two oblasts were emptied of men.

Elsewhere: there are lots of rumours but nothing dependable. It seems in some cases detention of local politicians, activists, journalists etc. is mis-interpreted, perhaps intentionally mis-reported as forced recruitment.