Zelenskyy in UK for E3 talks as EU prepares new Russia sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in the United Kingdom for diplomatic engagements, including bilateral talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and an "E3 plus Ukraine" meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. This follows earlier reports that President Zelenskyy had invited Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich to Kyiv to relay 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 anticipated to introduce its 21st package of sanctions against Russia this week, reportedly targeting financial institutions in third countries, particularly in Central Asia, implicated in circumventing existing restrictions. Sources: Громадське, Радіо Свобода, Суспільне Новини, Українська правда