2026

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — A massive demonstration was held for the 35th night in a row in Albania’s capital on Saturday, with protesters calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, the temporary replacement of his government, constitutional reform and an end to corruption.

Media images showed tens of thousands of people marching along Tirana’s main boulevard toward Skanderbeg Square. There has been no independent verification of the number of protesters.

The nightly demonstrations began over a luxury coastal resort development project in a protected natural area linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, but have since evolved into broader anti-government and anti-corruption protests. The protesters were chanting “New Albania” and “Edi Rama, resign.”

The march was heavy on symbolism. A tall bust of Rama was erected and later toppled with the help of a rope, a gesture reminiscent of the February 1991 toppling of the statue of longtime communist dictator Enver Hoxha, an event commemorated on Feb. 20 each year. Since Saturday’s protest coincided with Rama’s 62nd birthday, some protesters carried “birthday cakes” made of cement, an allusion to the building projects. There was also an ironic “happy birthday” song for Rama.

Some protesters carried pink flamingo balloons, a reference to the birds supposedly threatened by the resort construction project. The demonstrations have long been dubbed “the pink flamingo revolution.”

After protesting for about two hours, a large group marched to a police station, demanding the release of people arrested during Thursday’s protest near parliament.

Protesters broke the windows of the police station while police responded with a water cannon to disperse the crowd.

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July 5 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking to Russian leader Vladimir Putin by telephone for nearly 90 minutes, offered to help find a solution to the Ukraine war, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said in comments made public early on Sunday.

Ushakov said Trump made the offer during the call on Saturday, U.S. Independence Day, in the context of his participation next week at the NATO summit in Turkey. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he also spoke to Trump.

“The American president once again confirmed his readiness to work towards a rapid end to the fighting and find solutions to overcome the crisis,” Ushakov said of Trump’s call with the Russian president.

Ushakov, who described the conversation as “business-like and quite constructive,” said Russia sought “a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, with due account of Russia’s fundamental approach.”

Ushakov accused Kyiv and its European allies of “counting on extending and even escalating the conflict, and on terrorism against civilians.” 

He was referring to Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russian targets, mainly linked to the oil industry, which have triggered fuel shortages in several Russian regions.

Ushakov said Putin “depicted the real situation on the battlefield where the Russian armed forces are confidently advancing, liberating one locality after another.”

Russian commanders told Putin on Friday that Moscow’s troops had captured the strategically important city of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

On Saturday, Zelenskiy and Ukraine’s General Staff dismissed that claim, saying Kyiv’s forces still controlled the city.

Russia has said any solution must include Moscow assuming full control over Ukraine’s Donbas region.

Ukraine rejects that assertion and Zelenskiy urged Putin last month to hold a one-on-one meeting with him, but the Kremlin leader refused.

U.S. ENVOYS

Ushakov quoted Trump as saying that Washington’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, would keep trying to broker a settlement and were prepared to make another visit to Moscow.

U.S. diplomatic efforts have virtually stalled as Washington is focused on the war with Iran.

Ushakov said Putin expressed hope during the conversation that U.S. diplomatic efforts in the Iran conflict would “allow for mutually acceptable long-term solutions to be found on key issues of a settlement.”

Ushakov said Putin also reminded Trump that he had an open invitation to visit Moscow.

Zelenskiy, writing on his Telegram account, described his conversation with the U.S. president as “very good,” including a discussion on the war’s 1,200-km (746-mile) front line.

“There is a real prospect to end this war and American resolve will have a crucial meaning,” he said. Zelenskiy said he and Trump agreed to continue discussions at the NATO meeting.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Jonathan Oatis, David Gregorio, Rod Nickel)

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