Overview

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Zelenskyy signed a memorandum to co-develop long-range weapons systems without range restrictions for striking military targets in Russia.
• A U.N. Human Rights Council commission concluded that Russian drone strikes on Kherson civilians amounted to crimes against humanity and war crimes.
• President Zelenskyy has called for a trilateral summit with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to break the impasse in peace negotiations.
• Ukraine reported that Russia has amassed over 50,000 troops along the northeastern Sumy border region as Moscow seeks a buffer zone.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed a proposal for direct peace talks on June 2 in Istanbul, pending Ukraine’s formal response.