Summary
This blog is now closing. Here are a few of the day’s developments:
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of “trying to buy time” to “continue war”, a day after US President Donald Trump discussed the war with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a two-hour phone call.
The European Union has adopted new sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, focusing on Moscow’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, human rights violations and hybrid threats, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
The UK government has announced 100 new sanctions on Russia across Russian military, energy, financial sectors and those conducting “Putin’s information war against Ukraine”.
Kaja Kallas called for the United States to take “strong action” against Russia if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that even though Europe has just adopted its 17th package of sanctions on Russia, an 18th package is being prepared with further “hard-hitting” measures, Reuters reports.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that Ukraine needs to decide whether or not it will cooperate in discussing a memorandum ahead of a future peace accord that Moscow has proposed, Reuters reports.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andriy Sybiha has called on the Group of Seven advanced economies to reduce its price cap on Russian seaborne oil to $30 per barrel. The current G7 price cap is $60 per barrel.
Germany is still counting on the US to pile more pressure on Russia for an immediate ceasefire in its war on Ukraine, Berlin said.“We have repeatedly made it clear that we expect one thing from Russia - an immediate ceasefire without preconditions,” German foreign minister Johann Wadephul said.
German defence minister Boris Pistorius has accused President Vladimir Putin of not really being interested in peace in Ukraine, saying the Russian leader was only “playing for time” in talks with the United States.
Russia has accused Nato of carrying out what it called aggressive actions in the Baltic Sea that impeded the freedom of shipping after Estonia tried and failed to seize a tanker.
At least one civilian has been killed and 13 injured in Russian attacks across Ukrainian regions over the past day, regional authorities reported.
Russia has lost 975,800 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on 20 May. This number includes 1,030 Russian casualties over the past day.
Ukraine’s military said it has launched another investigation into the “Anne of Kyiv” brigade, trained in France, after a media report alleged financial misconduct among some commanders, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.
China said it backs “direct dialogue” between Russia and Ukraine, after US President Donald Trump announced the two would “immediately” start peace talks after he spoke with Vladimir Putin.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has posted on X thanking Ursula von der Leyen and “the entire EU” for the 17th sanctions package, calling it a “step in the right direction”.
Zelenskyy added:
It is important to impose tough restrictions on Russia’s tanker fleet, which serves to finance killings, as well as on all the schemes Russia uses to build up its military industry. The more pressure there is on Russia, the more incentives Moscow will have to move toward genuine peace.
Ursula and I also discussed preparations for the EU’s 18th sanctions package. Russian oil, energy trade infrastructure, banks, and financial schemes — these are the areas that hurt Russia the most, and therefore contribute the most to peace. I thank everyone who advocates for tougher sanctions and makes strong decisions.
We also discussed in detail yesterday’s conversation with President Trump and our joint diplomatic work with partners. Europe must be on board, and we are coordinating every step as closely as possible.
