Overview
- In a joint declaration, Ukraine and several European leaders endorsed using the current contact line as the starting point for negotiations and called for an immediate halt to fighting.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any option to freeze forces along the existing front is unacceptable to Russia, signaling no shift in Moscow’s position.
- Preparatory talks between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russia’s Sergei Lavrov were delayed after reported differences, and the White House said no summit is planned in the near future.
- Travel for a possible Budapest meeting faces legal and logistical hurdles, with Poland warning Putin’s plane could be forced to land under the ICC warrant as Hungary pledges safe passage and Bulgaria signals potential overflight.
- EU unity remains strained as Slovakia blocks the 19th sanctions package, while leaders prepare to discuss new measures and tapping frozen Russian state assets to bolster Ukraine.