Russian invasion

Negotiations 

Putin: “Sees no point in talking to Zelensky”

Vladimir Putin sees no point in talking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he says during an economic forum in Saint Petersburg according to Reuters.

– Let the experts work, develop some solutions, and then we can meet, says Putin.

The statement comes after Zelensky sent a letter in which he suggests that the two presidents meet to end the war.

Furthermore, Putin says that the war will only end when Russia's goals have been achieved.

Ukraine's allies want to see new peace talks with Russia

The leaders of Britain, France and Germany will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this weekend to discuss a path to new peace talks with Russia. This is reported by Bloomberg.

The information comes a day after Zelensky proposed a direct meeting between him and Vladimir Putin in an open letter. During an EU summit on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the initiative.

– I believe that it is now up to Ukraine and Russia to agree on both a ceasefire and a peace plan, Macron said.

The Kremlin announced on Friday that Putin had read the contents of Zelensky's letter. 

Drone alarm in Europe
Drone explosion in Romanian port – Ukraine believes it was hijacked by Russia

A Ukrainian naval drone exploded on Friday morning in the Romanian coastal city of Constanta, the news agencies write. Since then, a conflict has been ongoing over whose fault it was.

No one was injured in the explosion, but the Ukrainian navy claims that the naval drone was hijacked by the Russian military and forced off course, writes AFP. Russian authorities, for their part, say that “all attempts to directly or indirectly associate these drones” with them are groundless.

The Ukrainian military says they warned Romania before the explosion and that major damage could have been avoided.