Zelenskyy in UK for talks; Putin declined direct meeting offer; EU plans new Russia sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in the United Kingdom for diplomatic engagements, including bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and an "E3 plus Ukraine" meeting involving French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. This visit follows reports that President Zelenskyy had invited Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich to Kyiv to convey a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding a potential direct meeting. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha commented that Putin "wasted an opportunity to exit a failing war" by declining Zelenskyy's proposal for direct peace negotiations. Concurrently, the European Commission is expected to introduce its 21st package of sanctions against Russia this week. These measures are reportedly aimed at financial institutions in third countries, particularly in Central Asia, suspected of assisting in the circumvention of existing restrictions.

Sources: Громадське, Радіо Свобода, Суспільне Новини, Українська правда