"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.
Viktor Orban, Hungary's prime minister (R), and Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine's president, at a news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 2, 2024. (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has no leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukraine does not need his mediation in potential peace talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 17.
“Ukraine is a strong country and has proven it on the battlefield throughout Putin's aggression. Does anyone else in Europe have this experience now? No. Does Orban have such an army? No. How will he put pressure on Putin? With a joke, a smile? Let him keep it,” Zelensky said, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
Hungary has maintained close ties with Moscow despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, frequently criticizing EU sanctions on Russia and blocking military aid to Kyiv.
Zelensky said that Ukraine needs direct relations with the United States, rejecting Orban's role as an intermediary.
“Prime Minister Orban... will not succeed. I won’t let him or people like him in,” he said, clarifying that his remarks were directed at Orban, not the Hungarian people, who he argued overwhelmingly support Ukraine.
Zelensky’s comments followed escalating tensions after Orban’s recent phone call with Putin and his criticism of Zelensky for allegedly rejecting a Christmas ceasefire proposal.
Ukrainian officials have dismissed these claims, emphasizing their focus on achieving a just peace through strength.
“Negotiations on a sustainable peace will begin only when the enemy does not have the resources to continue the war,” Zelensky's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said on Dec. 17, adding that Ukraine’s victory plan was created to bolster its position.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
