Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap!
US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow on Wednesday, Tass news agency reported (12:41), just days before Donald Trump’s deadline for Moscow to move on Ukraine which expires on Friday.
The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said that Russia considered direct engagement with the US “important, substantial and helpful” and that a meeting between Witkoff and president Vladimir Putin was an option (11:36).
In Kyiv, there is little expectation of a breakthrough with Russia, but high hopes that Trump’s tougher rhethoric on Moscow could lead to a change in the way the US supports Ukraine (13:34).
However, senior Ukrainian administration officials also continued to call for direct talks between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s Putin (16:46).
Elsewhere,
Lithuania’s finance minister Rimantas Šadžius has been appointed as acting prime minister until a new cabinet has been sworn in, stepping into the role after the resignation of Gintautas Paluckas (15:51).
Eurostar services to and from Paris were hit by delays and cancellations after a power outage near Moussy, north of Paris, affecting also travellers in London (12:06).
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at [email protected].
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
US to 'substantially' raise tariffs on India in retaliation for buying Russian oil, Trump says
In a sign of growing tensions over Russia’s continuing refusal to move on Ukraine, US president Donald Trump has just announced that the US would “substantially raise the tariff paid by India to the US” in retaliation for its continuing purchases of Russian oil.
He said:
“India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!! President DJT”
