Putin, Meloni-Abbas talks headline busy Friday; EU finance, Italy strike, DRC

• Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend a high-level international forum dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Rome to discuss the Gaza ceasefire, reconstruction, and humanitarian situation.
• The EU's Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) will meet in Brussels to discuss the economic impact of Russia's aggression and potential uses of immobilised Russian assets.
• Italy's largest union, CGIL, will organize a nationwide general strike today to protest the government's proposed 2026 budget law, causing widespread disruption.
• The UN Security Council (UNSC) is likely to hold a briefing and consultations on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including Monusco's mandate renewal.

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