Russia-Ukraine battle stay: Putin visits Kursk area for first time since recapturing from Ukraine

G7 finance ministers meet in Canada to debate Ukraine-Russia

Jakub Krupa

Finance ministers of the world’s seven largest economies – G7 – are assembly in Banff, Alberta in Canada to debate their concepts on Ukraine and issues about disruptions ensuing from Donald Trump’s unorthodox commerce coverage.

Earlier than the assembly, German finance minister Lars Klingbeil warned that commerce disputes with the US ought to be resolved as quickly as potential, as he pressured they had been a burden on the financial system and job safety.

As an alternative of this infighting, G7 ought to make it clear that it “will continue to stand firmly by Ukraine’s side” and oppose “the terrible destruction caused by Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war,” Klingbeil mentioned.

Ukraine shall be represented there, with the nation’s finance minister Sergii Marchenko in attendance.

These feedback come as Europe scramble to maintain strain on Russia with the most recent spherical of sanctions.

Listed below are a few pictures of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, visiting the border area of Kursk on Tuesday, a number of weeks after Russian forces pushed Ukrainian troops out of the world:

Ukraine will ask the EU subsequent week to think about massive new steps to isolate Moscow, together with seizing Russian property and bringing in sanctions for some patrons of Russian oil, as US president Donald Trump has backed off from tightening sanctions, stories Reuters in an unique.

A beforehand unreported Ukrainian white paper to be introduced to the EU requires the 27-member bloc to take a extra aggressive and impartial place on sanctions as uncertainty hangs over Washington’s future function.

In response to Reuters, amongst 40 pages of suggestions had been calls to undertake laws that may velocity up the EU’s seizure of property from sanctioned people, and ship them to Ukraine. These beneath sanctions may then search compensation from Russia.

The EU ought to contemplate a variety of steps to make its sanctions apply extra forcefully past its personal territory, together with focusing on international firms that use its expertise to assist Russia, and “the introduction of secondary sanctions on purchasers of Russian oil”.

Such secondary sanctions, which may hit massive patrons reminiscent of India and China, could be a serious step that Europe has up to now been reluctant to take. Trump had publicly mentioned this earlier than taking the choice to not act for now, stories Reuters.

The white paper additionally requires the EU to think about using extra majority-rules resolution making over sanctions, to stop particular person member states from blocking measures that in any other case require unanimity.

After talking to Vladimir Putin on Monday, Trump opted to not impose contemporary sanctions on Russia, dashing hopes of European leaders and Kyiv who had been lobbying him for weeks to ratchet up strain on Moscow.

Trump spoke to Ukrainian and European leaders after his name with Putin and advised them he didn’t wish to impose sanctions now and to offer time for talks to happen, an individual acquainted with dialog advised Reuters.

The EU and the UK imposed extra sanctions towards Russia on Tuesday anyway, saying they nonetheless hope Washington will be a part of them. However Europeans are overtly discussing methods they will keep strain on Moscow if Washington is not ready to take part.

Iran’s parliament permitted a 20-year strategic partnership on Wednesday between Moscow and Tehran, state media reported. The settlement represents a deepening of bilateral ties together with nearer defence cooperation.

Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian signed the strategic partnership doc on 17 January.

The Russian legislative department permitted the pact in April. Whereas the settlement doesn’t embody a mutual defence clause, it says each international locations will work collectively towards frequent navy threats, develop their military-technical cooperation, and participate in joint workout routines, stories Reuters.

For the reason that begin of the battle in Ukraine in 2022, Iran and Russia have deepened navy ties, with western international locations accusing Iran of offering missiles and drones for Russian assaults on Ukraine. Tehran denies offering weapons for Russian use in Ukraine.

The strategic pact additionally contains a number of clauses geared toward boosting financial partnership, notably by strengthening direct interbank cooperation and selling their nationwide monetary merchandise.

A free commerce deal between Iran and the Russian-led Eurasian Financial Union went into impact final week, chopping down tariffs to spice up commerce between the 2 economies, that are each beneath heavy western sanctions.

A Russian strike on a navy coaching web site in north-eastern Ukraine has killed six troopers and wounded a minimum of 10 others, the Ukrainian nationwide guard mentioned on Wednesday, stories Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Ukraine’s Sumy border area – from the place Kyiv’s troops launched final 12 months’s main cross-border offensive into Russia’s Kursk area – has come beneath intensifying assaults in latest months after Moscow recaptured its territory.

“Six soldiers were killed and more than 10 wounded as a result of the attack, while they carried out exercises at a military shooting range,” Ukraine’s nationwide guard mentioned in a Fb put up, including that an investigation has been opened into the incident.

Russia’s defence ministry on Tuesday night mentioned it had launched a ballistic missile assault on the positioning. “During reconnaissance activities … a training camp” for Ukrainian particular forces was “detected,” it mentioned in a social media put up.

“Based on the received coordinates, an Iskander missile strike was launched,” it added. Russia additionally printed footage exhibiting the hit on what it mentioned was a coaching camp in a wooded space.

AFP report that aerial footage confirmed one strike, sparking a big hearth and sending a plume of thick black smoke billowing into the air.

“An internal investigation into the incident is under way. The commander of the military unit has been suspended, and the necessary information has been passed on to law enforcement agencies,” Ukraine’s nationwide guard mentioned.

Russian president Vladimir Putin visited the border area of Kursk on Tuesday, a number of weeks after Russian forces pushed Ukrainian troops out of the world, the Kremlin mentioned on Wednesday.

“Vladimir Putin made a working visit the previous day to the Kursk region,” the place he met the interim governor and others, the Kremlin mentioned in an announcement, based on Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Ukrainian troops seized management of elements of the Kursk area in August 2024, however had been pushed out by Moscow’s forces, with assist from North Korean troopers, by the top of April.

AFP report that pictures aired on the Rossia 24 channel confirmed a relaxed and smiling Putin sitting round a big desk decked with tea and sweets, with folks from the area.

Putin additionally visited the native nuclear energy plant and met metropolis officers, the Kremlin mentioned. The Russian president beforehand visited Kursk on the finish of March.

In the meantime, Pope Leo XIV confirmed to Giorgia Meloni his willingness to host within the Vatican the following spherical of negotiations to attempt to finish the battle between Russia and Ukraine, the Italian prime minister mentioned on Tuesday.

“Finding in the Holy Father confirmation of the readiness to host the next talks between the parties in the Vatican, the prime minister expressed deep gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for his unceasing commitment to peace,” mentioned an announcement from Meloni.

Pope Leo XIV, elected two weeks in the past, mentioned on 14 Could that the Vatican may act as a mediator in world conflicts, with out particularly mentioning Russia’s battle towards Ukraine.

Listed below are another key developments:

• Individually the Italian prime minister mentioned she had talks with different European leaders and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, over subsequent steps. “It was agreed to maintain close coordination between the partners with a view to a new round of negotiations aimed at a ceasefire and a peace agreement in Ukraine.”

• Zelenskyy accused Russia of “trying to buy time” to proceed the battle, a day after the US president, Donald Trump, mentioned the battle with Putin. Their two-hour cellphone name did not ship any significant concessions from Moscow. The German defence minister, Boris Pistorius, additionally accused Vladimir Putin of “playing for time” and not likely being eager about peace in Ukraine.

• In its common evaluation, the Institute for the Examine of Conflict (ISW) mentioned on Tuesday: “Russia must explicitly acknowledge the legitimacy of the Ukrainian president, government, and constitution and Ukraine’s sovereignty in order to engage in meaningful, good-faith negotiations.” Putin should additionally conform to a ceasefire earlier than negotiation of a ultimate peace settlement. The ISW mentioned Russia was attempting to increase its checklist of calls for when it ought to be making ready to make concessions.

• After the European Union on Tuesday adopted its seventeenth spherical of sanctions towards Russia centred on the “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, human rights violations and hybrid threats, the European Fee president, Ursula von der Leyen, mentioned an additional, 18th package deal was already being ready with additional “hard-hitting” measures. The UK authorities has additionally introduced 100 new sanctions on Russia throughout Russian navy, vitality, monetary sectors and people conducting “Putin’s information war against Ukraine”.

• The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, mentioned he anticipated Russia inside days to current broad outlines for a ceasefire with Ukraine that may let the US assess whether or not Moscow is critical. “At some point here fairly soon – maybe in a number of days, maybe this week hopefully – the Russian side is going to present the terms,” Rubio advised a Senate listening to.

• A Russian strike on a navy coaching web site in northeastern Ukraine has killed six troopers and wounded a minimum of 10 others, the Ukrainian nationwide guard mentioned on Wednesday. Ukraine’s Sumy border area – from the place Kyiv’s troops launched final 12 months’s main cross-border offensive into Russia’s Kursk area – has come beneath intensifying assaults in latest months after Moscow recaptured its territory.

• Ukraine’s navy mentioned it has launched one other investigation into the “Anne of Kyiv” brigade, educated in France, after a media report alleged monetary misconduct amongst some commanders, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

• The Ukrainian international minister, Andriy Sybiha, known as on the G7 to scale back its worth cap on Russian seaborne oil to $30 per barrel. The present cap is $60. Ukraine is attending G7 talks in Canada this week.