"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.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin shake hands in Moscow in March, 2023. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)
China has sent tens of thousands of shipments to Russian weapons firms since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Telegraph reported on Aug. 19.
The Telegraph's investigation found that China has helped supply the Russian military with helicopters, drones, optical sights, and essential raw materials. Trade between Moscow and Beijing is on track to reach a record high this year of over $200 billion.
These trade records contradict China's claims of neutrality and its promises not to provide either Ukrainian or Russian forces with weapons.
China has also sought a role in international peace talks, a position undermined by its ongoing support for Russia.
According to the Telegraph, a Chinese company sent 1,000 drones to Russia in the months leading up to the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The firm described itself as "a wholesaler of children's toys" and shipped the drones to a Russian shell company that also listed itself as a toy seller.
After the invasion began, Chinese companies continued to supply military aid to Russia, including turbojets and missile navigation systems routed through India and Costa Rica.
The goods China exports are officially classified as "dual-use," meaning they have non-military applications. The classification allows China to get by international sanctions and maintain the fiction that it is not providing Russia with lethal aid.
Invoices for shipments of optical sights, which are attached to weapons to provide better vision, said the devices were for "hunting."
NATO and U.S. officials have threatened "severe consequences" should China supply Russia with lethal military aid.
The investigation found trade data from China indicating that Beijing is now "a critical lifeline" for Russia amid crippling economic sanctions.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Maria Yeryoma
