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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that his country is committed to ending the war with Russia but he urged dozens of European leaders to ramp up sanctions if President Vladimir Putin continues to play for time in talks aimed at securing a truce. Russia and Ukraine were holding their first direct peace talks in three years, in the Turkish port city of Istanbul, but officials and observers expected them to yield little immediate progress on stopping the more than three-year war, AP reports.  Russia-Ukraine war is top of the agenda as European leaders meet in Albania on security concerns “Ukraine is ready to take all realistic steps to end this war,” Zelenskyy told leaders gathered for a summit of the European Political Community. But he warned: “If it turns out that the Russian delegation really is just theatrical and can’t deliver any results today, the world must respond.” That reaction, he said, should include "sanctions against Russia’s energy sector and banks.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed his call, saying in a summit speech that “Russia is dragging its feet and playing games.” “We must be prepared to follow through because if Russia won’t come to the negotiating table, Putin must pay the price,” he said, at the summit in the Albanian capital, Tirana. Zelenskyy's remarks came after Putin declined to attend face-to-face talks. “I think Putin made a mistake by sending a low level delegation,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said as he arrived for the summit under a steady drizzle. “The ball is clearly in his part of the field now, in his court. He has to play ball. He has to be serious about wanting peace," Rutte added. European Union foreign chief Kaja Kallas said Putin was “playing games, which shows that they are not serious about peace.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was clear that “President Zelenskyy was ready to meet but President Putin never showed up, and this shows his true belief. So we will increase the pressure.” Von der Leyen said the EU is preparing a new package of sanctions. She said that the measures will target the shadow fleet of aging cargo vessels that Russia is using to bypass international sanctions and the Nord Stream pipeline consortium. Russia’s financial sector would also be targeted, she said. EU envoys have been working on the new sanctions package for several weeks, and the bloc’s foreign ministers could enact them as soon as Tuesday.  Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first peace talks in 3 years Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni stressed that efforts to reach a deal on Ukraine must continue. “I think ... that we must not throw in the towel. I think we must insist, we must insist for an unconditional ceasefire and a serious peace agreement that includes guarantees of security for Ukraine,” she said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined the leaders of dozens of European countries and organizations for a one-day summit in Albania's capital Friday to discuss security and defense challenges across the continent, with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine at the top of the agenda. On the eve of the summit in Tirana, Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey to try to secure a ceasefire with Moscow, sending a low-level delegation instead. European leaders criticize Putin's decision not to met Zelenskyy “I think Putin made a mistake by sending a low level delegation,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said as he arrived for the summit under a steady drizzle. “The ball is clearly in his part of the field now, in his court. He has to play ball. He has to be serious about wanting peace. So I think all the pressure is now on Putin,” Rutte added. Zelenskyy did not make any comments as he arrived for the summit, walking with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama along the red carpet past the gathered media. European Union foreign chief Kaja Kallas said Putin was “playing games, which shows that they are not serious about peace.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was clear that “President Zelenskyy was ready to meet but President Putin never showed up, and this shows his true belief. So we will increase the pressure.” Von der Leyen said the EU is preparing a new package of sanctions. She said that the measures will target the shadow fleet of aging cargo vessels that Russia is using to bypass international sanctions and the Nord Stream pipeline consortium. Russia’s financial sector would also be targeted, she said. EU envoys have been working on the new sanctions package for several weeks, and the bloc’s foreign ministers could enact them as soon as Tuesday. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni stressed that efforts to reach a deal on Ukraine must continue. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first peace talks in 3 years “I think ... that we must not throw in the towel. I think we must insist, we must insist for an unconditional ceasefire and a serious peace agreement that includes guarantees of security for Ukraine,” she said. The spurning of the offer for direct talks with Zelenskyy “is clear evidence that Putin doesn’t seriously want peace. He’s dragging his heels,” said U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “And that’s why today is a really important opportunity, to work with colleagues to make sure that we are absolutely united.” Summit a chance for bilateral meetings The theme of the European Political Community, or EPC, summit in Tirana is “New Europe in a new world: unity — cooperation — joint action.” The gathering of leaders from about 50 nations and organizations will also address ways to improve the continent’s competitiveness and tackle unauthorized migration. But the EPC will also be a setting for leaders to meet bilaterally, or in small groups, to weigh in on major security issues. The inaugural summit in Prague in 2022 saw the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia holding rare talks in an effort to ease tensions between the longtime adversaries. Last weekend, Zelenskyy hosted French President Emmanuel Macron, Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Kyiv, where they made a joint call for a 30-day end to hostilities. “As Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues, its consequences stretch far beyond Ukraine’s borders, straining our security and testing our collective resilience,” Albania's Rama and European Council President António Costa wrote in their EPC summit invitation letter. The last summit, hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ardent supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, was dominated by the concerns and opportunities that might arise in the wake of Trump's reelection. The leaders arrived in Tirana’s central Skanderbeg Square on a rainy morning and were to be greeted by a brief performance by dancers in folk costumes before heading into the temporary conference hall, set up at the foot of a monument to Albania's national hero Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeu, or Skanderbeg, who fought against the Ottoman Empire. Albania hosts a major summit days after election Rama's governing Socialist Party won Albania’s May 11 parliamentary election, attracting voters who support the country’s long and somewhat uphill effort to join the European Union. The vote secured a fourth term for Rama. The prime minister said that the summit is a point of pride for Albania, and an “inspiration and motivation to continue further on.” His Socialist Party says it can deliver EU membership in five years. The EPC forum is Macron's brainchild, and was backed by former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, aiming to boost security and prosperity across the continent. But critics claimed it was an attempt by them to put the brakes on EU enlargement. The 2022 inaugural summit involved the EU's 27 member countries, aspiring partners in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, as well as neighbors like the U.K. — the only country to have left the EU — and Turkey. Russia is the one major European power not invited, along with Belarus, its neighbor and supporter in the war with Ukraine. The next EPC meeting will take place in Denmark later this year.  54 people killed in overnight airstrikes on southern Gaza city amid Trump's Mideast trip

Two firefighters and a civilian were killed in a blaze at a former British military base that is now used to commemorate the history of aviation and motor sports, officials said Friday. The fire broke out Thursday in a large warehouse at the former Royal Air Force base in Bicester, near Oxford. Giant plumes of smoke could be seen for miles and witnesses reported hearing explosions.  Leaders of ICAB, ICAEW meet in UK Two other firefighters were hospitalized with serious injuries, Oxfordshire County Council said. Crews had the fire under control Friday morning but remained at the scene.  UK becomes fastest-growing G7 economy after strong first quarter

Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first face-to-face peace talks in three years on Friday, convening in Istanbul under Turkish mediation. However, both officials and analysts anticipate little progress in halting the war, which has now stretched into its fourth year. Ukraine’s delegation, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, is expected to meet a lower-level Russian team headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.  Russia launches smallest nighttime attack on Ukraine in months in run-up to possible peace talks The renewed attempt to revive peace talks began on a shaky note Thursday, as Russian President Vladimir Putin declined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s offer for direct talks. The two delegations also arrived in different Turkish cities and appeared mismatched in terms of diplomatic representation. While expectations were low for a possible Zelenskyy-Putin meeting, the sluggish momentum of the peace process dashed hopes of a breakthrough in Turkey. The two sides remain deeply divided on terms for ending the conflict. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump, during a visit to the Middle East, said a meeting between him and Putin was essential to overcome the stalemate. Ukraine has accepted a 30-day comprehensive ceasefire proposal backed by the U.S. and Europe, but Putin has dismissed it, instead laying out broad preconditions. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials and Western military analysts report that Russia is preparing for a renewed military offensive. After Putin declined Zelenskyy’s invitation to meet in Ankara on Thursday, the Ukrainian president accused Moscow of not being genuinely interested in ending the war, criticizing Russia’s delegation as merely symbolic. Nonetheless, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would still send a delegation led by his defense minister to the Istanbul talks, as a signal to Trump that Kyiv remains committed to peace despite Russia’s apparent reluctance. According to the Kremlin, Russia’s delegation will include three additional senior officials, along with four junior “experts” assigned to the discussions. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated he would meet Friday in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the Ukrainian delegation. He also noted that members of the U.S. team would hold talks with the Russian side, expressing hope that all parties might eventually sit down together. “We’re not expecting major results tomorrow. Honestly, it’s clear by now that a real breakthrough would require a direct meeting between President Trump and President Putin,” Rubio told reporters Thursday in Antalya. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy traveled to Albania to participate in a summit of European political leaders scheduled for Friday.  Russian House in Dhaka celebrates the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War

European Union regulators accused TikTok on Thursday of breaching digital safety rules because of shortcomings in the video sharing app's online ad database.  Mexican beauty influencer fatally shot during TikTok livestream TikTok's ad repository isn't up to the standards required by the bloc's Digital Services Act, known as the DSA, the 27-nation EU’s executive Commission said in preliminary findings from its investigation. The Commission said ad databases are vital for researchers to detect scam ads as well as so-called hybrid threat campaigns, coordinated information operations and fake ads, "including in the context of elections." The DSA is a wide-ranging rulebook that aims to clean up social media platforms and protect users from risks including election-related disinformation. Provisions include requiring platforms to be transparent about digital ads, including informing users why they’re being shown a specific advertisement and who paid for it. The Commission said TikTok doesn’t provide necessary information about the content of ads, the users targeted, and who pays for them. The database doesn’t allow for a comprehensive search for ads based on this information, “thereby limiting the usefulness of the tool,” it said. TikTok did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The shortcomings in TikTok's ad database prevent a “full inspection” of the risks posed by its ad targeting systems, said Henna Virkkunen, the commission's executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy. “Transparency in online advertising — who pays and how audiences are targeted — is essential to safeguarding the public interest," Virkkunen said. “Whether we are defending the integrity of our democratic elections, protecting public health, or protecting consumers from scam ads, citizens have a right to know who is behind the messages they see.” TikTok now has a chance to reply before the Commission issues its final decision, which could result in a fine of up to 6% of the company’s annual global revenue. TikTok is being scrutinized in a separate EU investigation into whether it failed to deal with risks to Romania’s presidential election, which was thrown into turmoil last year over allegations of electoral violations and Russian meddling.  TikTok fined $600 million for China data transfers that broke EU privacy rules

The British economy grew at its fastest rate in a year during the first quarter of 2025, official figures showed Thursday, in a welcome boost to the Labour government, which has made lifting the country's growth its top priority. The Office for National Statistics said growth, as measured by gross domestic product, increased by 0.7% in the first quarter of the year from the final three months of 2024, with the country's dominant services sector doing particularly well.  Experts call for national coordinating authority to develop blue economy The first quarter increase makes the British economy the fastest-growing among the Group of Seven leading industrial nations. Growth was modestly ahead of market expectations for a 0.6% increase. It was also the biggest increase since the first quarter of 2024, when the economy expanded by 0.9%. Treasury chief Rachel Reeves welcomed the growth leap, and said the figures showed the choices made by Labour since it was elected last July were beginning to pay off. “We’re set to be the fastest growing economy in the G-7 in the first three months of this year and that’s incredibly welcome, but I know that there is more to do," she said while on a visit to a Rolls-Royce factory in Derby, northern England. Most economists think is likely to slow down in the second quarter of the year, partly because of the global uncertainty generated by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies. Though most tariffs were paused for 90 days following the ensuing market turmoil, including the 10% baseline tariff applied to U.K. goods entering the U.S., the backdrop for the global economy remains highly uncertain, particularly if the U.S.-China trade war persists. Some of that uncertainty, with regard to the British economy, lifted Thursday when both Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer separately outlined details of a trade deal between the U.S. and the U.K. Though Trump kept the 10% baseline tariffs on U.K., he agreed to reduce the levies on British autos, steel and aluminum. Sanjay Raja, chief U.K. economist at Deutsche Bank, said the growth uptick will likely be short-lived, especially during the second quarter when trade uncertainty will be at its peak. “Exporters will likely see reduced demand as well from higher U.S. tariffs and weaker global demand,” he said. Economists said growth will likely falter in the second quarter as new taxes on business were imposed in April. Also a raft of price rises during the month, including domestic energy and water bills, are expected to keep a lid on consumer demand.  Bangladesh’s recycling economy: Turning trash into treasure for thousands

In a High Court hearing starting Tuesday, the U.K. government will defend its decision to continue supplying parts for F-35 fighter jets that may be used by Israel in Gaza, The legal challenge was brought by human rights groups, which argue that the government is breaking domestic and international law and is complicit in atrocities against Palestinians by allowing essential components for the warplanes to be supplied to Israel. UK’s Starmer  announces stricter immigration plan; pledges sharp drop in migration numbers  The government said in September that it was suspending about 30 of 350 existing export licenses for equipment deemed to be for use in the conflict in Gaza because of a “clear risk” that the items could be used to “commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.” Those equipment included parts for helicopters and drones. But an exemption was made for some licenses related to components of F-35 fighter jets, which have been linked to Israel’s bombardment campaign in the Gaza Strip. Rights groups argue that the United Kingdom shouldn't continue the export of the parts through what they call a “deliberate loophole” given the government's own assessment of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law. Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq and the U.K.-based Global Legal Action Network, which brought the legal challenge, say the components are indirectly supplied to Israel through the global spare parts supply chain. U.K. officials have argued that stopping the export of F-35 fighter jet components would negatively impact international peace and security. Compared to major arms suppliers such as the U.S. and Germany, British firms sell a relatively small amount of weapons and components to Israel. The Campaign Against Arms Trade nonprofit group estimates that the U.K. supplies about 15% of the components in the F-35 stealth combat aircraft, including its laser targeting system. “British-made F-35s are dropping multi-ton bombs on the people of Gaza, which the U.N. secretary-general has described as a ‘killing field,’” said Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, a lawyer for the Global Legal Action Network. “The U.K. government has expressly departed from its own domestic law in order to keep arming Israel. This decision is of continuing and catastrophic effect," she added. The hearing is expected to last four days and a decision is expected at a later date. Israel resumed its bombardment in Gaza in March, shattering a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. More than 52,800 people, more than half of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry. The ministry’s count doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed thousands of militants, without giving evidence. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas’ military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the war in Gaza.  UK urges India-Pakistan to show restraint, engage in dialogue

Syria has agreed to take back any of its citizens intercepted trying to reach Cyprus by boat, the Mediterranean island nation's deputy minister for migration said Monday. Nicholas Ioannides says two inflatable boats each carrying 30 Syrians were already turned back in recent days in line with a bilateral agreement that Cyprus and Syria now have in place. Cypriot navy and police patrol boats intercepted the two craft after they put out a call for help. They were subsequently escorted back to Syria. Ioannides told private TV station Antenna Monday that there’s been an uptick of boatloads of migrants trying to reach Cyprus from Syria, unlike in recent years when vessels would primarily depart from Lebanon. Cyprus and Lebanon have a long-standing agreement to send back migrants. He said Cypriot authorities in conjunction with their Syrian counterparts are trying to fight back against people traffickers who are supplying an underground market for laborers. According to Ioannides, human traffickers apparently cut deals with local employers to bring in Syrian laborers who pick up work right away, despite laws that prevent asylum-seekers from working prior to the completion of a nine-month residency period. Syria's interim leader al-Sharaa makes first trip to Europe with Paris visit “The message we’re sending is that the Cyprus Republic won’t tolerate the abuse of the asylum system from people who aren’t eligible for either asylum or international protection and just come here only to work,” Ioannides said. The bilateral agreement is compounded by the Cypriot government’s decision last week not to automatically grant asylum to Syrian migrants, but to examine their applications individually on merit and according to international and European laws. From a total of 19,000 pending asylum applications, 13,000 have been filed by Syrian nationals, according to figures quoted by Ioannides. He said most of those applicants are Sunni Muslim and are no longer persecuted as they had been under the government of former President Bashar al-Assad. Since Assad was toppled in December last year and a new transitional government took power, some 2,300 Syrians have either dropped their asylum claims or rescinded their international protection status, while 2,100 have already departed Cyprus for Syria. Israeli airstrike targets area near Syrian presidential palace Both the United Nations refugee agency and Europe’s top human rights body have urged the Cyprus government to stop pushing back migrants trying to reach the island by boat. Cyprus strongly denies it’s committing any pushbacks according to its definition.

Pope Leo XIV, in his first Sunday blessing at the Vatican, made a heartfelt appeal to world leaders for an end to war. Addressing thousands in St Peter’s Square, he called for a "lasting peace" in the Ukraine conflict, a ceasefire in Gaza, and praised a recent agreement between India and Pakistan reached on Saturday. During the address, he also led the faithful in the Regina Caeli prayer, paying tribute to the Virgin Mary. The day before, the newly elected pope visited a shrine outside Rome and offered prayers at the tomb of his predecessor, Pope Francis, inside the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. His formal inauguration is scheduled for 18 May in St Peter’s Square, where he will celebrate Mass and deliver a homily attended by numerous world leaders and dignitaries. South Korean conservative party fails in a bid to switch presidential candidates Pope Leo was elected on Thursday after a two-day conclave. Since then, he has led his first Mass as pope in the Sistine Chapel and held a meeting with cardinals, where he described himself as an "unworthy choice" for the papacy and pledged to uphold the "precious legacy" of his predecessor. He emphasized the importance of missionary outreach, dialogue, and compassion for society’s marginalized, saying the Church must care for "the least and the rejected." Pope Leo explained his chosen name was inspired by a 19th-century pope recognized for championing social justice. The pontiff also noted that modern developments, including artificial intelligence, make the Church's mission to defend human dignity and justice more vital than ever. He is expected to address the media on Monday ahead of his inauguration. At 69, Pope Leo becomes the 267th leader of the Catholic Church and its first American pontiff. Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, he served for years as a missionary in Peru, where he also gained citizenship and later became an archbishop. Although American-born, the Vatican considers him the second pope from the Americas, following Pope Francis of Argentina. Seen as a moderate, Pope Leo is viewed as a figure of "continuity" and "unity" after the recent passing of Francis. He shares many of his predecessor’s views on migrants, poverty, and environmental issues. In his first public message, Pope Leo told the crowd he hoped "to walk together with you as a united Church searching all together for peace and justice." Source: BBC  

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, “without preconditions," an offer that came in response to Ukraine and its allies urging Moscow to commit to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face additional sanctions. Putin referenced the unsuccessful 2022 peace talks that took place in Istanbul in March, shortly after Moscow's full-scale invasion, and proposed "restarting" them without preconditions in remarks to reporters in the early hours of Sunday. “We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine," Putin said, adding that he doesn't rule out agreeing to a ceasefire later, in the course of direct talks with Ukraine. Putin's proposal came after leaders from four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure on Moscow if it does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine that they offered on Saturday in a strong show of unity with Kyiv. The leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland said their proposal for a ceasefire to start on Monday was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, whom they had briefed over the phone earlier in the day. Trump has called for Ukraine and Russia to meet for “very high level talks,” saying they are “very close to a deal” on ending the bloody three-year war. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously said he was ready for peace talks, but only after a ceasefire is in place. Moscow's proposals Putin said that Russia proposed several ceasefires in recent months — a halt on strikes on energy infrastructure, which Ukraine had agreed to, a unilateral 30-hour Easter truce and another unilateral ceasefire on May 8-10 that has since expired. Ukrainian officials said Russia repeatedly violated all of those. Putin on Sunday accused Ukraine of sabotaging “these initiatives time and time again" and launching multiple attacks on Russia. In March, the United States proposed an immediate, limited 30-day truce, which Ukraine accepted, but the Kremlin has held out for terms more to its liking. Putin on Sunday once again said the Kremlin needs a truce that would lead to a “lasting peace" instead of one that would allow Ukraine to rearm and mobilize more men into its armed forces. He said he would speak to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and ask him to facilitate the peace talks on May 15. Shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Turkey hosted unsuccessful talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators aimed at ending the hostilities. The proposed deal reportedly included provisions for Ukraine’s neutral status and put limits on its armed forces, while delaying talks on the status of Russian-occupied areas. China, Russia to shoulder special responsibility as major countries: Xi Moscow has blamed Kyiv and the West for the talks collapsing. Putin said that "those who truly want peace cannot but support" his proposal to restart the peace talks. ‘A very important signal’ Zelenskyy, speaking to reporters alongside the European leaders in Kyiv on Saturday, called their meeting "a very important signal.” In a joint statement, as published on Zelenskyy's official website, the five leaders called for a ceasefire “lasting at least 30 days" from Monday, to make room for a diplomatic push to end the war. “An unconditional ceasefire by definition cannot be subject to any conditions. If Russia calls for such conditions, this can only be considered as an effort to prolong the war and undermine diplomacy,” the statement read. French President Emmanuel Macron said that the U.S. would take the lead in monitoring the proposed ceasefire, with support from European countries, and threatened “massive sanctions ... prepared and coordinated, between Europeans and Americans,” should Russia violate the truce. Macron traveled to Kyiv with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “This is Europe stepping up, showing our solidarity with Ukraine,” Starmer said. Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, said Saturday that a “comprehensive” 30-day ceasefire, covering attacks from the air, land, sea and on infrastructure, “will start the process for ending the largest and longest war in Europe since World War II.” Meanwhile, Putin on Saturday held a series of bilateral talks with foreign officials who had attended Moscow's own celebrations marking the defeat of Nazi Germany, in an apparent attempt to underscore the West’s failure to isolate it on the global stage. Putin's interlocutors included To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and the leaders of Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and the Palestinian Authority. Europe threatens more sanctions if Russia ignores ceasefire offer Progress on ending the three-year war has seemed elusive in the months since Trump returned to the White House, and his previous claims of imminent breakthroughs have failed to come to fruition. Trump has previously pushed Ukraine to cede territory to Russia to end the war, threatening to walk away if a deal becomes too difficult. Since the start of U.S.-mediated talks, Russia has kept up attacks along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, including deadly strikes on residential areas with no obvious military targets. The ceasefire would include a halt to fighting on land, sea and in the air. The European leaders threatened to ratchet up sanctions, including on Russia’s energy and banking sectors, if Putin did not comply. The priority was to make it too costly for Russia to keep fighting in Ukraine, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. When asked how the monitoring mechanism would work, Sybiha told The Associated Press the details were still being discussed. Addressing skepticism over whether fresh sanctions against Moscow, which has so far managed to keep fighting in the war, Merz said “almost all member states of the European Union and a large coalition of the willing around the world are determined to enforce these sanctions even if our initiative of the weekend should fail.” Chinese President Xi leaves for state visit to Russia The leaders also discussed security guarantees for Ukraine. Building up Kyiv's military capabilities will be a key deterrent against Russia and require supplying Ukraine with robust quantities of arms to deter future attacks and investing in its defense sector. A force comprised of foreign troops could also be deployed as an added “reassurance” measure, Macron said. He said details about potential European deployments to Ukraine were still being fine-tuned. No mention was made of NATO membership, still Kyiv’s top choice for a security guarantee. Earlier on Saturday, the European leaders joined a ceremony at Kyiv's Independence Square marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. They lit candles alongside Zelenskyy at a makeshift flag memorial for fallen Ukrainian soldiers and civilians slain since Russia's invasion. Russian attacks continue Russian shelling in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region over the past day killed three residents and wounded four more, local officials said. Another civilian died Saturday as a Russian drone struck the southern city of Kherson, according to regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on Friday warned of a “potentially significant” Russian air attack in the coming days, without giving details. Russia in November gave the U.S. brief advance warning before striking Ukraine for the first time with its Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, an experimental hypersonic weapon that Putin claimed could travel at 10 times the speed of sound. Ukrainian Telegram channels linked the embassy's warning to reports of an imminent flight ban by Moscow over the Kapustin Yar military training and rocket launch complex. A similar flight ban preceded November’s strike. There was no immediate comment from Russian officials. Russia declares a 72-hour ceasefire in Ukraine marking Victory Day in World War II Trump said last week that he doubts Putin wants to end his war in Ukraine, expressing new skepticism that a peace deal can be reached soon, and hinted at further sanctions against Russia. Ukraine’s European allies view its fate as fundamental to the continent’s security, and pressure is now mounting to find ways to support Kyiv militarily, regardless of whether Trump pulls out.