Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy reaches out to eastern Europe for new trade and security partnership
The leaders of Poland, Serbia and Romania were among those at the inaugural Carpathian 8 Summit in western Ukraine. What we know on day 1,669
TL;DR
- Ukraine established a new trade and security scheme with eight Carpathian region countries, signing 50 agreements worth over €1bn, with a focus on energy independence.
- The summit in western Ukraine included leaders from Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, and the EU, aiming to strengthen regional cooperation.
- Donald Trump signed legislation authorizing sweeping sanctions on Russia to pressure an end to the war, targeting its energy revenues and those aiding its war machine.
- Russians are voting in the first State Duma election since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with expectations of United Russia extending its parliamentary control amid growing war anxieties.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of hindering peace talks and interfering in Russia's elections, while emphasizing reliance on its nuclear triad.
- Latvia's president warned that Europe is lagging in drone and aerial warfare defense and that many NATO countries could not withstand a Russian missile attack.
- A Russian glide bomb attack on an apartment building in Sumy, Ukraine, killed two people and injured seven.