"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.
SANDRINGHAM, NORFOLK - MARCH 2: King Charles III (L) greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to the Sandringham Estate on March 2, 2025 in Sandringham, Norfolk. (Photo by Joe Giddens - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with King Charles III on March 2 following the conclusion of the European leaders' summit hosted by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The meeting, which sources tell BBC News lasted just under an hour, comes as a show of support for the leader of the embattled country amid the fallout of Zelensky's heated meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
European leaders converged in London on March 2 to reaffirmtheir support for Kyiv and discuss how to strengthen support for Ukraine and ensure a just and lasting peace.
Earlier in the day, Starmer said that a number of European nations, including the U.K. and France, are developinga 'coalition of the willing' that will include "planes in the air and boots on the ground" in an effort to negotiate a successful ceasefire in Ukraine.
Starmer added that for any coalition to succeed, Europe must "have strong U.S. backing."
While most European leaders publicly voiced support for Zelensky after his spat with Trump, Starmer called both the Ukrainian and U.S. leaders in an attempt to bridge the rift. The prime minister reportedly aims to tell Zelensky that fixing relations with Trump would be necessary to ensure lasting peace.
Amid Starmer's visit to the U.S. to meet Trump on Feb. 27, King Charles invited Trump to an "unprecedented" second state visit to meet the Royals. Trump previously visited the United Kingdom in his first term in office on the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Zelensky previously metwith Britain's King Charles on July 18.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
