Russia Kills 5 in Ukraine as Zelenskyy Hails US Envoy
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- Russia's overnight missile and drone strikes killed five people across Ukraine — a pregnant woman and two others in the northeastern town of Chuhuiv, and two more in Bilozerske and Druzhkivka in Donetsk — with 16 wounded in a separate Kharkiv city drone attack that included children.
- Zelenskyy called his phone conversation with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner 'very positive,' saying they were ready 'to reinvigorate diplomacy' aimed at ending the war 'in the coming weeks.'
- Starmer, Macron, and Merz issued a joint statement after meeting Zelenskyy in London, pledging 'unwavering support' and planning to coordinate increased military aid and pressure on Russia's war economy at the upcoming G7, NATO, and Coalition of the Willing summits.
- Putin rejected Zelenskyy's request for a direct face-to-face meeting at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, saying there was 'no point' until experts finalize terms first.
- Zelenskyy told The Guardian that 'half' of Putin's circle wants to stop the war and 'half' wants to continue, while acknowledging that 'the world's attention is on Iran.'
Why it matters: Zelenskyy is leveraging the upcoming G7, NATO, and Coalition of the Willing summits to coordinate Western military and economic pressure on Russia, but Putin's public rejection of a direct meeting — 'no point' until experts finalize terms — means any diplomatic breakthrough must clear expert-level talks first, all while Russian strikes continue killing Ukrainian civilians including a pregnant woman.
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