Zelensky en route to Slovakia

Following his visits to Bulgaria and Czechia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he's headed to Slovakia to meet with the country's leadership on July 7.

Zelensky will hold talks with President Zuzana Caputova, Prime Minister Ludovit Odor, and the National Council Speaker Boris Kollar.

They will discuss Slovakia's military assistance to Ukraine, the July NATO summit, Kyiv's Euro-Atlantic aspirations, and the Ukrainian peace formula.

The negotiations will also focus on bilateral cooperation and energy security, according to Zelensky's press service.

Ahead of the next NATO summit in Vilnius, Kyiv is actively seeking to mobilize additional support for Ukraine's membership bid. Ukraine hopes to receive a "clear signal" from allies regarding its membership prospects at the summit, set to take place on July 11-12.

Zelensky is also set to meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul later on July 7, according to the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications.

Zelensky's international trips are usually not announced in advance for security reasons.

Zelensky argues with Bulgarian president over his opposition to arming Ukraine

During his July 6 visit to Sofia, President Volodymyr Zelensky argued with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev over his negative stance on arming Ukraine in a televised meeting cited by Politico.

The Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova