Putin Accuses Europe of Sabotage

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Kyiv's European allies of sabotaging U.S.-led efforts to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, claiming they are 'on the side of the war' and blocking peace proposals with unacceptable demands. These accusations are seen as an attempt to sow dissension between Donald Trump and European countries. Vladimir Putin met with a U.S. delegation led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow to discuss peace proposals. Concurrently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Republic of Ireland and Paris, continuing his diplomatic tour to secure support and discuss peace efforts with European leaders, including Micheál Martin and Emmanuel Macron. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is awaiting reports from the U.S. envoys in Moscow to determine the next steps in negotiations, emphasizing the urgency for results as Ukrainian people are dying daily. The U.S. and Ukrainian officials, including Marco Rubio, have held parallel talks, making progress on a revised peace plan. Key obstacles remain, such as territorial control and Ukraine's future security guarantees. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also warned about Russian disinformation campaigns aimed at influencing negotiations. The Kremlin claimed Russian forces captured Pokrovsk in Donetsk, but Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine's general staff denied this, calling it a propaganda stunt.