Photo: Atlantic Council

Monday’s Coverage: Russia Murders 5+, Injures 35, Damages Historic Sites in Kyiv

UPDATE 1849 GMT:

A Ukrainian Su-24 bomber has crashed in the Khmelnytskyi region in west-central Ukraine, killing both the pilot and navigator.

UPDATE 1515 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has posted about his meeting with Donald Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio:

UPDATE 1435 GMT:

Canada has imposed new sanctions on 162 Russian individuals, entities, and vessels.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the package after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Évian, France.

UPDATE 1327 GMT:

Ukrainian drones hit Moscow’s largest oil refinery, the Moskovskyi NPZ, overnight.

Two industry source confirmed that the refinery, owned by Gazprom Neft, has been shut down after the attack and fire.

The complex processes around 11 million ton of oil per year and supplying 40% of the capital’s gasoline.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky called the strike “a fair response to Russian attacks”.

UPDATE 1238 GMT:

The UK will supply enriched uranium to power Ukraine’s nuclear plants over the next two years.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the £210 million ($282 million) arrangements ahead of a G7 session in France on Tuesday.

Starmer’s office said the support strengthens Ukraine’s ability to keep generating power “through the winters ahead” despite Russia’s aerial attacks.

The UK also expanded sanctions on Russia, bringing the number of blacklisted “shadow fleet” vessels near 600 and citing financial systems that bypass restrictions to fund weapons purchases.

UPDATE 1152 GMT:

Speaking by video link to the Reuters Next summit, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed a “very positive” summit with a wide-ranging discussion on how to press Russia into negotiations to end Moscow’s invasion.

Leaders unanimously agreed that “Russia is not winning and losing a lot of people, and they have to make a deal as quick as possible”. But they recognized that the Kremlin keeps attacking civilian targets and does not seem to want to end the war.

Zelensky discussed proposals for more sanctions on Russia, including on its shadow fleet and the banking and military sectors.

UPDATE 1143 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has met French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump for around 30 minutes on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France.

The three men later took part in a joint working session with other G7 leaders. Zelensky said air defense support was agreed with all members of the group strengthening Ukraine’s protection.

The President said he raised the issue directly with Trump, expressing hope that Ukraine could secure licenses to produce anti-ballistic systems and missiles. Trump appeared to view the proposal positively, Zelensky said.

Trump told reporters, “We had a good meeting. I’m meeting [Zelensky] later today,” Trump told reporters. He said Russia “should make a deal”.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: The European Union has formally opened negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova for their accession to the 27-member bloc.

At an Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg on Monday, all EU member states agreed to open the first negotiation cluster. The European Commission said in a statement.

Today, we’re launching talks on the backbone of the accession process: including justice, freedom, and fundamental rights. We’ve seen the hard work these countries have put in, and we are rewarding it with a clear path forward.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Conference in a video address from Chisinau, Moldova, en route to the G7 conference in France, that the step was a “clear signal that Europe’s progress cannot be stopped”.

The path to negotiations was opened last month with the change of government in Hungary. Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ally of Vladimir Putin, blocked the process, but he was defeated in elections by the Tisza Party and new Prime Minister Péter Magyar.

Zelensky Again Proposes Face-to-Face Meeting to Putin

Zelensky again proposed to Vladimir Putin that they meet face to face.

The President told reporters in Kyiv, “We sent a message expressing our willingness to meet with Putin during the G7 summit because [Donald] Trump and [French President Emmanuel] Macron will be there — so it’s the Europeans plus the US. I think it would’ve been a good — in fact, a very good — opportunity.”

Zelensky said later that he hoped Trump would initiate a trilateral meeting among the leaders in the US. He said he raised the matter during a phone call with Trump on Sunday.

“We’ll see what comes of this. If Russia refuses this chance too, additional pressure will be needed,” Zelensky said.