European and U.S. officials, including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, reportedly convinced Zelensky that attending the peace talks would reflect positively on Kyiv, diplomats told the Washington Post.
"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.
A worker standing on the uploading dock of Cavaou LNG terminal in Fos-sur-Mer, France, on June 22, 2023. (Clement Mahoudeau/AFP via Getty Images)
The U.K. imposed sanctions on Sept. 25 against five vessels and two companies involved in the transportation of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) as it looks to exert more pressure on sources of revenue for the Kremlin, according to a statement.
While LNG exports have been less heavily sanctioned than oil, recent restrictions have begun tightening the noose around this sector as well.
"LNG is an important source of funding for (Vladimir) Putin's illegal war in Ukraine. Russia has plans to expand its LNG revenues, aiming to grow its global LNG market share from 8% to 20%," the statement read.
The vessels Pioneer, Asya Energy, Nova Energy, North Sky, and SCF La Perouse were sanctioned in this latest move.
London also imposed restrictions on two entities, including Ocean Speedstar Solutions OPC, the operator of the Pioneer and Asya Energy vessels, as well as on White Fox Ship Management, the operator and manager of the North Sky vessel.
Under British sanctions legislation, listed ships are prohibited from accessing U.K. ports and may face other restrictions, including arrest and denial of registration.
The U.K. has now sanctioned 15 vessels and entities involved in the Russian LNG sector, according to the statement.
Earlier this year, the U.K., along with its allies, the U.S. and European Union, sanctioned Arctic LNG 2.
Arctic LNG 2, owned by Russia's Novatek company, aims to produce almost 20 million metric tons of LNG per year to sell primarily to Asian markets, potentially generating billions of dollars in revenue.
It was envisaged as Russia's largest LNG plant and a flagship project to help the country become the world's leading LNG producer.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Dominic Culverwell
