"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.
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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with Britain's King Charles on July 18, 2024. (X/President Zelensky)
President Volodomyr Zelensky met with Britain's King Charles on July 18, and in a post on social media thanked the U.K. for being "one of Ukraine's closest and most important allies."
Zelensky was in the U.K. to attend the Fourth European Political Community summit, held at Blenheim Palace, near Oxford.
"I am grateful to His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for today’s audience," Zelensky said on social media after the meeting.
"The United Kingdom remains one of Ukraine's closest and most important allies. We appreciate all the support provided to the Ukrainian people."
After arriving in Britain in the morning, Zelensky was met off the plane by Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's former commander-in-chief and recently appointed ambassador to the U.K.
Later in the day, Zelensky signed 10-year bilateral security agreements with the Czech Republic and Slovenia.
Prague and Ljubljana will provide Ukraine with long-term military and non-military assistance, according to the agreements.
Czechia and Ukraine are expected to boost cooperation in the military tech sphere, including the production of ammunition, small arms, as well as drones, electronic warfare, and heavy equipment.
The two countries plan to set up joint enterprises and continue annual training of up to 4,000 Ukrainian military personnel, according to the agreement.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Dominic Culverwell
