Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak voiced doubt about leading negotiations with anyone from Russia except President Vladimir Putin, implying only the Russian leader can make real decisions.
This includes at least seven people injured in drone attacks overnight on May 12, a date from which Kyiv and its allies put forward a demand for a 30-day unconditional truce, a step that Moscow continues to reject.
"When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs," the Elysee Palace reacted to a fake story pushed by Russia.
The comments came after Trump urged Ukraine to agree to direct negotiations with Russia, which has invited Kyiv to peace talks in Istanbul on May 15, without first agreeing to halt military operations.
A Russian drone hit a civilian freight train in Donetsk Oblast on May 12 and injured its driver, Ukrainian Railways said amid Kyiv's calls for a ceasefire.
Moscow and Hanoi agreed to negotiate and sign agreements to construct nuclear power plants in Vietnam, the two countries said in a joint statement on May 11.
The sanctions appear to be in response to Russia's rejection of a 30-day ceasefire that the U.K., alongside Ukraine, France, Germany, and Poland, demanded during a visit to Kyiv on May 10.
"We now know for sure that the great fire of the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X. "Some of the perpetrators have already been detained, all the others are identified and searched for."
The publications' latest report covers the period of February 24, 2022 to May 8, 2025. Since it was last updated at the end of April, 2,857 additional Russian military personnel have been confirmed killed.
Hungary cancelled a meeting planned for May 12 with a Ukrainian delegation on the rights of national minorities, Hungary's Deputy Foreign Minister said on May 11, amid a deepening spying scandal between the two countries.
Three were injured in Russia's Kursk Oblast when the town of Rylsk was allegedly struck by a missile attack on May 11, local governor Alexander Khinshtein claimed.
Aperol bottles in a store in Bergamo, Italy on September 4, 2023. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The Milan-based Campari Group, which owns the Italian drink brand Aperol, has filed a lawsuit in Russia to demand a stop to Aperol imports, independent Russian media outlet Meduza reported on Oct. 5.
The lawsuit was filed in Rostov against the local distributor Master-Trade, which Campari Group believes imports and sells Aperol without permission.
Meduza cited information provided to the Russian business newspaper Kommersant, which suggests Campari may not have responded to requests from the Russian customs service as to whether the goods have permission to be imported.
If the owner of the brand does not answer the service, "the goods are passed through" customs anyway and allowed into the country.
A hearing for the case is scheduled for October 30, Meduza reported.
In April 2022, Campari Group said it had "stopped all investments" in Russia, including advertising and promotions, and "reduced the business to the bare minimum necessary to pay the salaries of our colleagues."
"We are monitoring the situation closely and are open to reconsider our position accordingly," Campari said.
However, Campari's continued presence in Russia led some Ukrainian bar owners to boycott the group's brands and remove drinks like Aperol Spritz from their menu over the summer of 2023.
According to the Kyiv School of Economic's #LeaveRussia campaign, the revenue volumes of the Campari Group increased in 2022 compared to the 2021 level.
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independence. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was previously an intern at the Kyiv Post. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
Dinara Khalilova
