Photo: AP
Wednesday’s Coverage: Zelensky Hails “Concrete Decisions” at G6+1 Summit
Map: Institute for the Study of War
UPDATE 1944 GMT:
Ukraine has documented 366 cases of sexual violence during Russia’s full-scale invasion, reports the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office.
The victims include 231 women, 134 men, and 19 children. The documented crimes span rape, sexual torture, forced nudity, and other violent acts, many of which occurred in occupied territories or during the early stages of the 40-month invasion.
The statement was published on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said Russia is “grossly violating international humanitarian law” and the legal framework established by multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. Moscow is employing sexual violence “as a weapon of war” to terrorize civilians, destroy communities, and weaken resistance.
UPDATE 1444 GMT:
The Kremlin has rejected a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “Until the necessary ‘homework’ is done to remove the irritants in our relations with the United States, it makes no sense to organize a meeting.”
Peskov said that while US-Russia talks began in February, progress remained minimal and key obstacles are still in place.
The Russian Foreign Ministry claimed earlier this week that the Trump Administration had canceled the next round of talks, which were expected to take place in Moscow.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the planned round was intended to “eliminate irritants”, such as staffing restrictions and banking issues for embassies. She expressed hope that the US pause in talks “will not become too long”.
UPDATE 0857 GMT:
Despite Donald Trump’s walkout of the G7 summit, senior Ukrainian officials met US counterparts to discuss support of defense projects in Ukraine under a joint investment fund set up in May.
Ukraine’s 1st Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the talks included US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
UPDATE 0829 GMT:
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to attend the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands on June 24-25, confirmed an official in the Presidential office.
The official said the summit is “an opportunity to maintain support and promote a ceasefire”. However, he implicitly supported reports that Zelensky may not go if Donald Trump skips the event: “The decision will be made on the eve of the summit. This is just the schedule.”
NATO leaders are reportedly keeping the summit “short and sweet” to avoid aggravation of Donald Trump with his short attention span.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Vladimir Putin has said he will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss Russia’s 40-month full-scale invasion…but only if the West ends its support of Ukraine’s resistance.
Meeting editors of international news agencies on Wednesday, Putin posed that he wants to end his invasion “as soon as possible”, preferably through peaceful means, and is ready to continue negotiations.
He said the meeting with Zelensky would be in a “final phase” of negotiations “so as not to sit there and divide things up endlessly, but to put an end to it”.
But he also repeated his ultimatum that the Zelensky Government has to step down before the Kremlin will halt its attacks: “Russia does not care who represents Ukraine in negotiations, but insists that any final agreement must bear the signature of legitimate authorities”.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reinforced that while Putin is ready for talks, but “legal aspects related to [Zelensky’s] legitimacy” must be considered.
To push back international pressure — including some in the Trump Administration — for a ceasefire, Putin has dangled the possibility of a meeting with Zelensky. However, when Ukraine called the bluff and agreed to a sit-down in Istanbul, Turkey in mid-May, Putin sent a delegation of mid-level officials.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has sought to manipulate Donald Trump into abandonment of Kyiv, amplifying Trump’s statements that Zelensky is a “dictator” who “refused to have elections”. Trump has also lied that only 4% of Ukrainians support the President — the actual figure is around 65%.
