"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, delivers his year's annual assessment speech during a government congress on Feb. 18, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. (via Getty Images)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is threatening to veto the extension of EU sanctions against Russia, which must be renewed every six months, Politico reported on Feb. 22, citing three unnamed diplomats familiar with the matter.
One of the reasons is that Hungary wants four individuals to be removed from the list.
According to the report, Hungary is also opposing a proposal, backed by all other member states, to prolong the extension period from six to 12 months, which would give Budapest fewer opportunities to torpedo the sanctions and derail EU decisions.
So far, EU ambassadors have not reached a compromise with Hungary, despite the EU being ready to comply with demands to remove the four people from the sanctions lists, two diplomats said.
On Feb. 22, the officials are set to discuss a “tentative compromise” that involves moving to 9-month renewal periods rather than the current six months, according to the diplomats.
The EU has sanctioned over 1,400 people in relation to Russia’s war in Ukraine, including oligarchs, members of Russia’s parliament, military and security officials, and Russian administrators in Ukraine’s occupied territories. If Hungary continues its veto, all of them would have to be de-listed, the report reads.
At the same time, the EU is close to agreeing on the tenth sanctions package against Russia. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the next sanctions package would help restrict 11 billion euros worth of multiple electronic components used in Russian weapons - such as drones, missiles, and helicopters - via trade bans and technology controls.
The EU aims to adopt the package this week, before the one-year mark of the full-scale Russian invasion on Feb. 24.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
