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.
Viktoria Roshchyna, 27, disappeared in August 2023 while reporting from Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories. Moscow admitted she was in Russian detention the following year.
Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel speaks about the future of the EU-led special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine and its role in bringing Russia to justice.
Turkish officials told Bloomberg that while they don't expect Trump to visit Istanbul, they are not ruling it out, and preparations for any scenario are underway.
Melkonyants was arrested in August 2023 in connection with the activities of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), which was co-founded by Golos's legal predecessor, the Golos association.
Ukraine's underground storage facilities are currently using 19.4% of their capacity. Almost 32%, or 2.79 bcm, less gas is available in the storages than in the previous year, according to the estimates.
The majority of Ukrainians, 71%, do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, even in the case of a ceasefire and security guarantees, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on May 14.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on stage at the 2024 Munich Security Conference on February 16, 2024 in Munich, Germany. (Johannes Simon/Getty Images)
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will attend the upcoming global peace summit to be held on June 15-16 in Switzerland, the White House said on June 3.
The announcement comes a few days after it was reported President Joe Biden would likely miss the event as it clashes with a campaign fundraiser he is set to attend alongside, among others, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Jimmy Kimmel.
"The Vice President will underscore the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s effort to secure a just and lasting peace, based on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and the principles of the U.N. Charter," the White House said in a statement.
"The Vice President will reaffirm support for the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against ongoing Russian aggression."
The statement also said U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan would be attending.
Reports that Biden would not attend the event prompted President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 28 to say his absence would "only be met by an applause by Putin, a personal, standing applause by Putin."
"I believe that the peace summit needs President Biden, and other leaders need President Biden because they will look at the U.S.’s reaction," Zelensky said.
Saudi Arabia does not plan to be present at the event because Russia will not be there, it was reported on June 2, despite the country hosting an international summit on the peace formula in August 2023.
On June 2, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Hungary has not decided whether to take part in the peace summit as "not all sides of the war" will be present at the event.
Zelensky has accused Russia of "blackmailing some leaders and trying to block the participation of some countries."
The peace summit will be held on June 15-16 in the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland.
Ukraine hopes the summit will address several key areas, such as energy security, the exchange of captives, the return of deported children, global food security, and other topics.
Some 107 states and international organizations have confirmed their participation in Ukraine's global peace summit, President Volodymyr Zelensky's spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, said on June 3 on national television.
Elsewhere on June 3, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to an accusation from Zelensky on June 3, pushing back on Zelensky's claims that China is trying to sabotage the upcoming global peace summit.
The previous day, Zelensky accused China of "working hard" to prevent countries from participating in the summit, which is scheduled to be held in Switzerland on June 15-16.
"We believe that we can get the understanding and support of all parties," she added, saying that China's position on the summit has been "open and transparent."
China allegedly declined an invitation to participate in the summit as the terms it required to attend were not met, Reuters reported on May 31, citing several sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
Nate Ostiller
