"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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. Guests depart after attending the opening ceremony at the 2018 NATO Summit at NATO headquarters on July 11, 2018, in Brussels, Belgium. (Sean Gallup / Getty Images)
The United States is opposing President Volodymyr Zelensky's participation at the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague, Italy's ANSA news agency reported on May 14, citing unnamed diplomatic sources.
If confirmed, the decision would mark the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion that Zelensky is absent, either physically or virtually, from a NATO summit.
The Ukrainian president has attended every NATO summit since February 2022: in person in 2024 in Washington and 2023 in Vilnius, and virtually in 2022.
According to ANSA, almost all allies have expressed surprise to Washington over this move.
One Dutch official told the NOS broadcaster that denying Zelensky a seat at the table would be "a diplomatic disaster for the Netherlands that no speaker could justify."
NATO foreign ministers are expected to meet informally in Antalya on May 14, where the issue could surface despite the session being designated as non-decision-making.
The summit agenda itself remains limited, reportedly to avoid controversy with U.S. President Donald Trump. According to ANSA, the Netherlands has scaled down the format to a single session focused on defense spending and alliance capabilities.
Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO members for not meeting the alliance's 2% of GDP defense spending benchmark and has pushed for it to be raised to 5%.
NOS sources noted the summit is still six weeks away and the decision to bar Zelensky could still be reversed.
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.
Dominic Culverwell
