Russia has reiterated its willingness to engage in direct talks with Ukraine, but stressed that international recognition of its control over five Ukrainian regions, including Crimea, is "imperative" for any potential settlement of the conflict.
In an interview with Brazilian daily O Globo, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated, “We remain open to negotiations, but the ball is not in our court. Kyiv has not shown readiness for negotiations so far.” Lavrov's comments came amid calls from U.S. President Donald Trump, who urged Russia to agree to a ceasefire and suggested that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might eventually be willing to concede Crimea as part of a peace deal — a proposal Zelenskyy has rejected in the past.
Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's stance that Ukraine must renounce its aspirations of NATO membership and adopt a neutral, non-aligned status as part of the final resolution to the conflict, which he argued should address Russia’s security concerns.
Since the war began in February 2022, Russia has claimed control over large parts of four Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia — in addition to Crimea, which it illegally annexed in 2014. These territorial annexations have been condemned by Kyiv, with Zelenskyy vowing to reclaim all territories occupied by Russian forces. The U.S., the EU, Türkiye, and numerous other countries have denounced Russia's annexation of Crimea as illegal, with no international recognition of the territory’s new status.
The ongoing war and Russia’s territorial claims continue to be key stumbling blocks in any meaningful peace negotiations, with international diplomacy still working to find a path toward resolution.
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On 28 May, the EU's foreign policy chief called for Russian troops to leave Georgia and Moldova. By the end of the same day, both Tbilisi and Moscow had dismissed her. The symmetry tells a story of its own.
Russia has recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations, citing Yerevan's growing rapprochement with the European Union. The move is seen as the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the longtime allies ahead of Armenia's parliamentary election on 7 June.
The United Nations (UN) added Israel and Russia to a blacklist of parties suspected of committing conflict-related sexual violence on Friday (29 May). The move prompted Israel to announce it would sever ties with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
NATO member Romania reported on Friday that a Russian drone injured two people in the southeastern city of Galati during an overnight attack on neighbouring Ukraine. The incident marks the first time in the war that a drone has struck a densely populated area in Romania and caused injuries.
U.S. rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, performed to a crowd of 118,000 people in Istanbul on Saturday night, marking his first concert in Europe in more than a decade, despite being barred from performing in several countries over past antisemitic remarks.
Iranian-made Yassin missiles were spotted mounted on Armenian Air Force fighter aircraft during Armenia's latest military parade on Thursday (28 May), drawing attention from defence observers and regional analysts.
The Philippines remains under a "severe threat" from China despite recent efforts by Washington and Beijing to ease tensions, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday (30 May).
Thai rescuers say five people have been pulled alive from a flooded cave in remote Laos, where seven villagers became trapped after heavy rain cut off access underground.
Russia has recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations, citing Yerevan's growing rapprochement with the European Union. The move is seen as the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the longtime allies ahead of Armenia's parliamentary election on 7 June.
South Africa's preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have suffered an unexpected setback after the national team failed to depart for Mexico as scheduled on Sunday (31 May) because some players and officials had not yet received their visas.
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Thousands of people gathered across Colombo on Saturday night (30 May) as Sri Lanka's capital came alive with light and colour for Vesak, one of the most important festivals in the Buddhist calendar.
The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) football team retained its Champions League title at Puskás Aréna in Budapest on Saturday night, after overcoming Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw following extra time.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is continuing to spread, with 263 confirmed cases and 43 deaths reported as of 30 May.
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