Elsewhere, there was a flurry of diplomatic efforts — but little concrete progress — since US President Donald Trump’s current conferences with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
We’ve rounded up the newest traces on the battle for you, under:
• Trump’s letter: The US president sent a letter of support to Ukraine because the nation marks the anniversary of declaring itself freed from Soviet rule. Zelensky shared the letter on X and delivered his personal message on the nation’s thirty fourth Independence Day: We won’t lose. US envoy Keith Kellogg additionally attended a ceremony marking the event in Kyiv at the moment.
• Zelensky on safety ensures: Zelensky stated Saturday {that a} plan for US and European safety ensures for Ukraine within the occasion of a peace deal “will be ready in the coming days,” following calls with a number of world leaders.
Security ensures have turn into the point of interest of current talks, with Kyiv’s western allies pledging they would supply backup for Ukraine to discourage any future assaults by Russia.
• Putin on restoring US relations: Putin stated Friday that the US and Russia are discussing the opportunity of joint tasks in Alaska and that he views current talks as a step towards “full-scale restoration” of the international locations’ relationship.
In feedback reported by Russia state media TASS, Putin described his assembly with Trump in Alaska as “very good” and stated Russia sought an finish to the preventing in Ukraine, however didn’t point out whether or not he would attend bilateral talks with Zelensky.
• Trump’s deadline prolonged — once more: The US president stated Friday he’ll give Putin “a couple of weeks,” additional extending his deadline for potential penalties towards Moscow after urging the Russian chief to fulfill along with his Ukrainian counterpart.
Asked by NCS’s Alayna Treene if there’s a chance he does nothing if Putin doesn’t come to the desk, Trump stated, “We’ll see. I’ll see whose fault it is.”