Donald Trump has said Volodymyr Zelenskyy is doing "pretty well" in Ukraine's war against Russia, a shift from his earlier claim that the Ukrainian president lacked the "cards" to win. Speaking to journalists in the Oval Office, Trump stated that Zelenskyy was "holding his own, at least. A lot of people dying on both sides, but I think he's doing pretty well."
European allies pledge strong support
Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said European allies want to send "a strong signal of support for Ukraine" at the Nato summit in Ankara in July. Hosting the leaders of France, Britain, Italy and Poland in Berlin, Merz declared: "The message to Russia is: Ukraine remains strong." He proposed that European Nato allies give Kyiv a strong financing commitment and stressed that "Europe's support is not wavering." The leaders also spoke by video link with Nato chief Mark Rutte.
Leaders from 32 nations, including Trump, will attend the 7-8 July Nato summit in the Turkish capital. Trump and Zelenskyy last met during the G7 summit in France, where leaders agreed to intensify pressure on Russia to end more than four years of war.
Ukraine expands strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
Ukraine will attack facilities Russia uses for the war, Zelenskyy has said, as Kyiv expands strikes on energy infrastructure to try to force Moscow into talks. "I instructed our intelligence services and military to act pre-emptively against facilities Russia uses to expand its war effort," the Ukrainian president said in his evening address on Wednesday.
Ukrainian drones knocked out power in the biggest city in Russian-held Crimea and targeted facilities in central and southern Russia on Wednesday. Analysts note that Ukraine is increasingly holding up well on the battlefield, but its cities remain targets of deadly Russian attacks.
Russian strike kills two mine disposal experts
A Russian strike on Ukraine's southern Kherson region killed two mine disposal experts from the Oslo-based charity Norwegian People's Aid, the Kherson region's governor said. The strike occurred on Wednesday in the village of Novopetrivka, Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram. "Four other specialists were wounded." The staff affected were Ukrainian citizens, the deputy head of the Kherson region's military administration confirmed.
Russian opposition figure jailed for criticising war
The deputy leader of Russia's Yabloko party, which opposes the war in Ukraine, has been convicted of spreading lies about the Russian army and jailed for seven years. Maxim Kruglov, 39, a former lawmaker in Moscow's city legislature, was arrested in October and charged over two Telegram posts in 2022 criticising the war. Kruglov pleaded not guilty and told the court: "In essence, this is a ban on dissent."
