"We discussed in detail the logic of further steps and shared our approaches... It is critical that Russia reciprocate Ukraine's constructive steps. So far, it has not. Moscow must understand that rejecting peace comes at a cost," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
"I am waiting to see who will come from Russia, and then I will decide which steps Ukraine should take. So far, the signals from them in the media are unconvincing," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The air raid was announced at around 2:30 p.m. local time, while the explosion sounded around 2:50 p.m. The number of victims killed rose to three, Sumy Oblast Governor Oleh Hryhorov reported at 8:42 p.m.
If confirmed, the decision would mark the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion that President Volodymyr Zelensky is absent, either physically or virtually, from a NATO summit.
The disclosure follows a warning from Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, who on May 6 said Moscow was carrying out an "unprecedented" interference campaign.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva claimed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had appealed to his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, to ask Putin if he was willing to conclude a peace agreement.
Earlier reporting from the Washington Post cited a former Russian official who claimed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, would represent Moscow in the talks.
The Council of Europe on May 14 approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia's top leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian lawmaker Maria Mezentseva reported.
Bill Blair, Canada's then public safety and emergency preparedness minister, speaks during a news conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on Monday, March 16, 2020. (David Kawai/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Canada will provide Ukraine with a new military aid package worth up to $20 million, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair announced on Jan. 23 during the 18th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
The package will include 10 rigid-hull boats from Zodiac Hurricane Technologies as well as English language training for Ukrainian Air Force personnel learning to operate F-16 fighter jets.
According to the released statement, these boats will assist Ukraine in numerous maritime operations including search and rescue, troop and cargo transport, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Each boat comes with a sophisticated sensor, navigation, and communications system. The donations will include spare parts and training for Ukrainian operators. The trainings are expected to be completed by late spring 2024.
Canada will also provide civilian instructors, planes, and support staff to support the F-16 Training Coalition alongside Denmark, France, and Norway. Language training programs will begin next month.
During the NATO summit in Vilnius in mid-July, Reznikov announced the official formation of the "fighter jet coalition," a group of 11 countries that will assist Kyiv with training its pilots on F-16s and acquiring the aircraft.
The first Ukrainian pilots began training on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark. Greece and the U.S. have also pledged to join the training efforts. So far, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway have promised to provide dozens of their F-16s to bolster the Ukrainian Air Force.
Canada has provided over $2.4 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Some of this support includes Leopard 2 main battle tanks, armored recovery vehicles, combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, small arms, M777 howitzers, ammunition, high-resolution drone cameras, winter clothing, and more.
Rachel Amran is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked on the Europe and Central Asia team of Human Rights Watch investigating war crimes in Ukraine. Rachel holds a master's degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Regional Studies from Columbia University.
Nate Ostiller
