Ukrainian president visits UK amid peace talk rejections and new EU sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the United Kingdom for bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a meeting in the "E3 plus Ukraine" format, which included French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. This diplomatic trip follows earlier reports that President Zelenskyy had invited Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich to Kyiv last month to convey a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin about a potential personal meeting. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha asserted that Putin "wasted an opportunity to exit a failing war" by declining Zelenskyy's proposal for direct peace negotiations. Meanwhile, the European Commission is set to present its 21st package of sanctions against Russia this week, reportedly targeting financial institutions in third countries that aid in circumventing existing restrictions.

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