Ukraine urges Zelenskyy‑Putin summit after drone strike
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- Ukraine is urging a face‑to‑face summit between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to revitalize U.S.-led peace efforts, according to Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
- Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv has asked Turkey to facilitate the talks and is open to any venue outside Russia and Belarus.
- Ukrainian drone attack in Syzran, Russia’s Samara region, collapsed part of a residential building, killing a woman and a child and injuring 12 others.
- Sergei Shoigu reported that Ukraine’s aerial attacks on Russia rose nearly fourfold from 2024 (6,200 strikes) to 2025 (over 23,000 strikes).
- Zelenskyy has accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump, but President Putin has refused.
- U.S.-mediated talks over the past year have stalled on key issues, such as the future of four Ukrainian regions Moscow claims but does not fully control, and are currently on ice due to Washington’s focus on the Iran war.
Why it matters: If a Zelenskyy‑Putin summit materializes, Ukraine gains a diplomatic avenue to press for concessions, while Russia confronts intensified drone attacks that have risen fourfold and civilian casualties that could erode domestic support. The move also tests U.S. leverage as attention shifts to the Iran conflict.
