Associated PressIn a first telephone conversation with Pope Leo XIV, Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked the Vatican for its mediation on humanitarian issues related to the war in Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, Putin advocated for deepening relations with the Holy See, based on “common spiritual and ethical values.” The Vatican said in the evening that the conversation focused
“Particularly on the situation in Ukraine and peace.” The Pope called on Russia to make a peace-promoting gesture and emphasized the importance of dialogue between the parties and the search for solutions to the conflict, the Holy See said. They also discussed the humanitarian situation and the need to provide assistance where it is needed.According to the Kremlin, Putin wished the new pope success and conveyed congratulations from Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill.
Leo XIV clearly condemned the war as an act of aggression and called for an end. His predecessor, Francis, was often criticized for calling for peace without distinguishing between aggressor and victim.
The Kremlin chief asked the head of the Catholic Church to advocate for religious freedom in Ukraine. He sees this freedom as being threatened by the ban on the former Moscow-loyal Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The Ukrainian leadership, in turn, considers this church a security risk because many of its bishops and priests have close ties to Moscow. Putin informed the Pope about the upcoming exchange of prisoners and dead soldiers, which both sides had agreed to in Istanbul on Monday.
“It was emphasized that Russia is taking all possible steps to reunite children with their families,” the statement said. The abduction of Ukrainian children, a suspected war crime, has resulted in an arrest warrant for Putin from the International Criminal Court in The Hague.US President Donald Trump had proposed the Vatican as a venue for peace talks in the Ukraine war, and Leo XIV was willing to do so. Moscow, however, rejected the idea because, according to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, two Orthodox countries should not resolve their conflict on the basis of the Catholic Church.Copy linkShare on FacebookShare on X
According to Russian advisor Yuri Ushakov, US President Donald Trump “reaffirmed” in a Wednesday phone call to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that the Americans were not “informed in advance” about Sunday’s Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian military airfields. Trump’s spokeswoman had already stated this on Tuesday.
In the Truth Social post about the phone call, Trump writes that Putin said he would “have to respond” to the attacks. Trump mentions nothing about any possible rebuttals or warnings of his own, which the Russian president could interpret as implicit approval. Trump’s post also makes no mention of the fact that aircraft like the ones destroyed are repeatedly used by Russia to strike Ukrainian cities. According to Russian news agency reports on Ushakov’s briefing, Ushakov said nothing about Putin’s announcement, mentioned by Trump, that he “must respond” to the drone attacks.
Putin, the adviser said, told Trump that Ukraine had tried to thwart Monday’s Istanbul talks by “targeting attacks on purely civilian targets, on peaceful civilians.” Moscow also accuses Kyiv of carrying out bomb attacks on railway tracks in the Bryansk and Kursk regions over the weekend, killing seven people and injuring more than a hundred others. However, Ushakov said, “they did not give in to the provocation,” and described “the Kyiv regime” as a “terrorist organization.” Trump, Ushakov said, “listened attentively” when Putin spoke “in quite some detail” about “these terrorist attacks.”
Pope Leo XIV called on Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone call to take a step toward peace with Ukraine. He also emphasized the importance of dialogue in finding solutions to the conflict, the Vatican said. The Kremlin said
Putin thanked the Pope for his willingness to help resolve the conflict. Putin also told Leo that Kyiv intended to escalate the conflict.
It must have been a spontaneous phone call, which Donald Trump reported on Wednesday evening – later Wednesday morning in Washington – on his platform Truth Social. On the other end, for the fourth time since his return to the American presidency: his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Trump wrote that they had discussed the coordinated Ukrainian drone attack on Russian military aircraft. Putin had said “very emphatically” that he had to respond to the attack.
So far, Russia, beyond the ever-indignant war bloggers and Putin’s deputy in the Security Council presidency, Dmitry Medvedev, had been more concerned with downplaying the consequences of the attack. But according to numerous reports, around a dozen long-range bombers were taken out on Sunday. These are the kind the Russian military uses for attacks on Ukrainian cities and positions, which are also important for strategic security as part of the so-called nuclear triad.
With his post, Trump even preempted a Russian report about the conversation, which had not been announced; only afterward did Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirm that it had taken place. The fact that Putin himself is linking a ceasefire in the war of aggression against Ukraine to such far-reaching conditions that they would permanently weaken the enemies was shown on Monday during the second round of negotiations between delegations from both countries in Istanbul, during which Moscow submitted a memorandum with corresponding proposals.
Germany and Poland have jointly advocated increasing pressure on Russia for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin is relying on “attrition,” and the outcome of the Ukrainian-Russian negotiations in Istanbul was “sobering,” said Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) on Wednesday during a visit to Berlin with his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski. “A willingness to engage in dialogue looks different.” The next, 18th, EU sanctions package against Moscow must therefore come “as quickly as possible.”
Wadephul and Sikorski both reportedly discussed their shared support for Ukraine and future defense cooperation. Wadephul said they discussed the “expansion of European air defense.” He also mentioned European armaments cooperation, which should be advanced, as well as the expansion of the infrastructure necessary for defense.
Sikorski said Germany and Poland play an important role on NATO’s eastern flank, and that the cooperation is also a “test” for relations. Both sides agreed that Russia had not changed its position and was using “delaying tactics” regarding efforts to achieve a ceasefire. Support for Ukraine therefore remained important, including in dialogue with the United States. He also advocated for further sanctions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Ukraine for the explosions on bridges in Russian border regions over the weekend. “All the crimes committed against civilians, including women and children, on the eve of another round of peace talks in Istanbul, which we proposed, were obviously aimed at thwarting the negotiation process,” Putin said on Wednesday. “The attack was a targeted strike against the civilian population,” Putin said. “These were, of course, terrorist acts.” In one of the bridge attacks over the weekend, a train derailed, killing seven people.
Putin also appeared to rule out a complete ceasefire in Ukraine. “Why reward them by granting them a lull in the fighting, which will be used to supply the regime with Western weapons, continue forced mobilization, and prepare various terrorist attacks?” the Russian president said. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine had rejected a Russian proposal for a two- to three-day partial ceasefire to allow for the recovery of bodies. “I believe this is simply a gross mistake by the regime in Kyiv,” Lavrov told Putin during a televised briefing on the outcome of talks in Istanbul on Monday.
According to both sides, Russia and Ukraine could begin an agreed-upon large-scale prisoner exchange this weekend. In Moscow, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky named June 7-9 during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, the state news agency Tass reported. In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke generally about the coming weekend. The first step would involve the return of 500 prisoners each. During direct talks in Istanbul on Monday, both sides agreed to exchange, primarily young soldiers between the ages of 18 and 25, and seriously injured or sick prisoners of war. This could involve more than 1,000 people from each side. In addition, thousands of bodies of killed soldiers are to be returned.
Against the backdrop of ongoing heavy Russian attacks in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on allies to increase pressure on Russia.
“Moscow must be forced into diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said on Wednesday at the meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group in Brussels, which he joined via video link. Russia must be “continued to be pressured with all means at our disposal” in order to “step by step render its aggression senseless.” Talks on a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia have so far been unsuccessful. Zelenskyy said in Kyiv on Wednesday that continuing his country’s talks with Russia in Istanbul with the current delegations “makes no sense.”
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius intends to make a new attempt at the international strengthening and maintenance of Ukraine’s air defenses. To this end, a multinational initiative (“Immediate Action on Air Defense”) will be relaunched, the SPD politician said in Brussels before a meeting of the so-called Ukraine Contact Group. He also announced that the group of supporters for the expansion of electromagnetic warfare capabilities will grow. Belgium, Estonia, Italy, Sweden, and Turkey plan to join the initiative. The focus will be on securing Ukrainian communications, reconnaissance and jamming of Russian communications, and drone defense.”It’s obvious every day: Russia continues to attack Ukraine massively from the air; the number of drone strikes and cruise missile attacks is immense. Again and again, every day, innocent Ukrainians die or are injured in these attacks,” Pistorius said. He described Ukraine’s recent drone strikes, which destroyed Russian military aircraft deep in the Russian hinterland, as a spectacular blow, as well as the attack on the Crimean bridge. This shows: “Ukraine is not giving up.”
The EU Commission intends to extend the protection status for refugees from Ukraine for another year. In light of the ongoing war and volatile situation in Ukraine, the authority is proposing an extension until March 2027, it announced in Brussels. Member states could approve the proposal as early as a meeting next week. Currently, the status of Ukrainian refugees is regulated by the EU Temporary Protection Directive. Therefore, they do not have to go through an asylum procedure and have comparatively good access to services such as the labor market and social benefits. As things stand, this status expires in March of next year.
At the same time, the Commission recommends that member states prepare for the return of refugees. For example, states should examine whether other prospects for staying exist, such as a work or student visa. Furthermore, refugees should receive more information about return options and be able to visit their homeland more easily. These recommendations would not be binding, even if approved by member states. “Since 2022, we have been offering protection to those fleeing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and we will continue to do so,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to the statement. “And together with Ukraine, we are paving the way for people to return and rebuild their homes as soon as it is safe.”
After another phone call with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump sees no chance of an immediate solution to the Ukraine war. “It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform after the call. The conversation lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes.
In a first telephone conversation with Pope Leo XIV, Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked the Vatican for its mediation on humanitarian issues related to the war in Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, Putin advocated for deepening relations with the Holy See, based on “common spiritual and ethical values.” The Vatican said in the evening that the conversation focused
“Particularly on the situation in Ukraine and peace .” The Pope called on Russia to make a peace-promoting gesture and emphasized the importance of dialogue between the parties and the search for solutions to the conflict, the Holy See said. They also discussed the humanitarian situation and the need to provide assistance where it is needed.According to the Kremlin, Putin wished the new pope success and conveyed congratulations from Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill.
Leo XIV clearly condemned the war as an act of aggression and called for an end. His predecessor, Francis, was often criticized for calling for peace without distinguishing between aggressor and victim.
The Kremlin chief asked the head of the Catholic Church to advocate for religious freedom in Ukraine. He sees this freedom as being threatened by the ban on the former Moscow-loyal Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The Ukrainian leadership, in turn, considers this church a security risk because many of its bishops and priests have close ties to Moscow. Putin informed the Pope about the upcoming exchange of prisoners and dead soldiers, which both sides had agreed to in Istanbul on Monday.
“It was emphasized that Russia is taking all possible steps to reunite children with their families,” the statement said. The abduction of Ukrainian children, a suspected war crime, has resulted in an arrest warrant for Putin from the International Criminal Court in The Hague.US President Donald Trump had proposed the Vatican as a venue for peace talks in the Ukraine war, and Leo XIV was willing to do so. Moscow, however, rejected the idea because, according to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, two Orthodox countries should not resolve their conflict on the basis of the Catholic Church.
According to Russian advisor Yuri Ushakov, US President Donald Trump “reaffirmed” in a Wednesday phone call to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that the Americans were not “informed in advance” about Sunday’s Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian military airfields. Trump’s spokeswoman had already stated this on Tuesday. In the Truth Social post about the phone call, Trump writes that Putin said he would “have to respond” to the attacks.
Trump mentions nothing about any possible rebuttals or warnings of his own, which the Russian president could interpret as implicit approval. Trump’s post also makes no mention of the fact that aircraft like the ones destroyed are repeatedly used by Russia to strike Ukrainian cities. According to Russian news agency reports on Ushakov’s briefing, Ushakov said nothing about Putin’s announcement, mentioned by Trump, that he “must respond” to the drone attacks.Putin, the adviser said, told Trump that Ukraine had tried to thwart Monday’s Istanbul talks by “targeting attacks on purely civilian targets, on peaceful civilians.” Moscow also accuses Kyiv of carrying out bomb attacks on railway tracks in the Bryansk and Kursk regions over the weekend, killing seven people and injuring more than a hundred others.
However, Ushakov said, “they did not give in to the provocation,” and described “the Kyiv regime” as a “terrorist organization.” Trump, Ushakov said,
“listened attentively” when Putin spoke “in quite some detail” about “these terrorist attacks.”
Pope Leo XIV called on Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone call to take a step toward peace with Ukraine. He also emphasized the importance of dialogue in finding solutions to the conflict, the Vatican said. The Kremlin said
Putin thanked the Pope for his willingness to help resolve the conflict. Putin also told Leo that Kyiv intended to escalate the conflict.Copy linkShare on FacebookShare on XShare by email
It must have been a spontaneous phone call, which Donald Trump reported on Wednesday evening – later Wednesday morning in Washington – on his platform Truth Social. On the other end, for the fourth time since his return to the American presidency: his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Trump wrote that they had discussed the coordinated Ukrainian drone attack on Russian military aircraft. Putin had said “very emphatically” that he had to respond to the attack. So far, Russia, beyond the ever-indignant war bloggers and Putin’s deputy in the Security Council presidency, Dmitry Medvedev, had been more concerned with downplaying the consequences of the attack. But according to numerous reports, around a dozen long-range bombers were taken out on Sunday. These are the kind the Russian military uses for attacks on Ukrainian cities and positions, which are also important for strategic security as part of the so-called nuclear triad. With his post, Trump even preempted a Russian report about the conversation, which had not been announced; only afterward did Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirm that it had taken place. The fact that Putin himself is linking a ceasefire in the war of aggression against Ukraine to such far-reaching conditions that they would permanently weaken the enemies was shown on Monday during the second round of negotiations between delegations from both countries in Istanbul, during which Moscow submitted a memorandum with corresponding proposals.
Germany and Poland have jointly advocated increasing pressure on Russia for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin is relying on “attrition,” and the outcome of the Ukrainian-Russian negotiations in Istanbul was “sobering,” said Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) on Wednesday during a visit to Berlin with his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski. “A willingness to engage in dialogue looks different.” The next, 18th, EU sanctions package against Moscow must therefore come “as quickly as possible.”Wadephul and Sikorski both reportedly discussed their shared support for Ukraine and future defense cooperation. Wadephul said they discussed the “expansion of European air defense.” He also mentioned European armaments cooperation, which should be advanced, as well as the expansion of the infrastructure necessary for defense.Sikorski said Germany and Poland play an important role on NATO’s eastern flank, and that the cooperation is also a “test” for relations. Both sides agreed that Russia had not changed its position and was using “delaying tactics” regarding efforts to achieve a ceasefire. Support for Ukraine therefore remained important, including in dialogue with the United States. He also advocated for further sanctions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Ukraine for the explosions on bridges in Russian border regions over the weekend. “All the crimes committed against civilians, including women and children, on the eve of another round of peace talks in Istanbul, which we proposed, were obviously aimed at thwarting the negotiation process,” Putin said on Wednesday. “The attack was a targeted strike against the civilian population,” Putin said. “These were, of course, terrorist acts.” In one of the bridge attacks over the weekend, a train derailed, killing seven people.
Putin also appeared to rule out a complete ceasefire in Ukraine. “Why reward them by granting them a lull in the fighting, which will be used to supply the regime with Western weapons, continue forced mobilization, and prepare various terrorist attacks?” the Russian president said. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine had rejected a Russian proposal for a two- to three-day partial ceasefire to allow for the recovery of bodies. “I believe this is simply a gross mistake by the regime in Kyiv,” Lavrov told Putin during a televised briefing on the outcome of talks in Istanbul on Monday.
According to both sides, Russia and Ukraine could begin an agreed-upon large-scale prisoner exchange this weekend. In Moscow, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky named June 7-9 during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, the state news agency Tass reported. In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke generally about the coming weekend. The first step would involve the return of 500 prisoners each. During direct talks in Istanbul on Monday, both sides agreed to exchange, primarily young soldiers between the ages of 18 and 25, and seriously injured or sick prisoners of war. This could involve more than 1,000 people from each side. In addition, thousands of bodies of killed soldiers are to be returned.
Against the backdrop of ongoing heavy Russian attacks in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on allies to increase pressure on Russia.
“Moscow must be forced into diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said on Wednesday at the meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group in Brussels, which he joined via video link. Russia must be “continued to be pressured with all means at our disposal” in order to “step by step render its aggression senseless.” Talks on a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia have so far been unsuccessful. Zelenskyy said in Kyiv on Wednesday that continuing his country’s talks with Russia in Istanbul with the current delegations “makes no sense.”
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius intends to make a new attempt at the international strengthening and maintenance of Ukraine’s air defenses. To this end, a multinational initiative (“Immediate Action on Air Defense”) will be relaunched, the SPD politician said in Brussels before a meeting of the so-called Ukraine Contact Group. He also announced that the group of supporters for the expansion of electromagnetic warfare capabilities will grow. Belgium, Estonia, Italy, Sweden, and Turkey plan to join the initiative. The focus will be on securing Ukrainian communications, reconnaissance and jamming of Russian communications, and drone defense.”It’s obvious every day: Russia continues to attack Ukraine massively from the air; the number of drone strikes and cruise missile attacks is immense. Again and again, every day, innocent Ukrainians die or are injured in these attacks,” Pistorius said. He described Ukraine’s recent drone strikes, which destroyed Russian military aircraft deep in the Russian hinterland, as a spectacular blow, as well as the attack on the Crimean bridge. This shows: “Ukraine is not giving up.”
The EU Commission intends to extend the protection status for refugees from Ukraine for another year. In light of the ongoing war and volatile situation in Ukraine, the authority is proposing an extension until March 2027, it announced in Brussels. Member states could approve the proposal as early as a meeting next week. Currently, the status of Ukrainian refugees is regulated by the EU Temporary Protection Directive. Therefore, they do not have to go through an asylum procedure and have comparatively good access to services such as the labor market and social benefits. As things stand, this status expires in March of next year.
At the same time, the Commission recommends that member states prepare for the return of refugees. For example, states should examine whether other prospects for staying exist, such as a work or student visa. Furthermore, refugees should receive more information about return options and be able to visit their homeland more easily. These recommendations would not be binding, even if approved by member states. “Since 2022, we have been offering protection to those fleeing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and we will continue to do so,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to the statement. “And together with Ukraine, we are paving the way for people to return and rebuild their homes as soon as it is safe.”Copy linkShare on FacebookShare on XShare by email
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has reaffirmed the US’s commitment to the alliance and Ukraine. “The US is fully committed to NATO and our joint endeavors,” Rutte said in Brussels on Wednesday. “As far as Ukraine is concerned, there is no reason to doubt that.” Rutte spoke on the sidelines of a meeting of defense ministers of the Ukraine Contact Group (UDCG) at NATO headquarters. The meeting, in the so-called Ramstein format and led by Germany and Great Britain, will also address how to compensate for the US’s declining commitment to aid to Ukraine. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will not attend the meeting of the contact group with around 50 countries. However, he is expected to attend the NATO defense ministers’ meeting on Thursday.US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker warned that Moscow is already preparing its next steps. The Kremlin is working to rebuild its military, Whitaker told reporters in Brussels. NATO allies must “leave Russia behind” in its arms buildup, he demanded. “We have no other choice.”
The Kremlin has confirmed a Ukrainian attack on the Crimean Bridge between the Russian mainland and the annexed peninsula. However, the structure was not damaged, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies. “There was indeed an explosion, but nothing was damaged; the bridge is functioning.” The previous day, the Ukrainian secret service SBU had reported an attack on the bridge and stated that the connecting line between the Russian mainland and the peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014, was in danger of collapsing at the site of the explosion.
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