UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights
The EU and the U.S. aim to coordinate new sanctions packages against the Russian Federation, according to French Foreign Minister Jean-NoΓ«l Barrot.
In an interview with AFP, Barrot referred to the initiative of U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who proposed βdevastatingβ sanctions against Russia and countries that trade with it. After meeting with Senator Marco Rubio and other U.S. lawmakers, Barrot emphasized that the EU is working to align its actions with Washington.
βWe Europeans will accompany this American initiative with the 17th package of sanctions, and yesterday I also promised Lindsey Graham that we will try to agree on both the content and the timing of these two packages of sanctions,β Barrot said.
The Russian elite is pressuring Putin over the signing of the βresource deal,β demanding concessions on Ukraine, β Washington Post.
According to the publication, some members of Russiaβs elite are increasingly concerned about the subsoil agreement between the US and Ukraine. They see it as a signal of a new balance of power that will make it harder for Moscow to secure a favorable peace. Senator Lindsey Grahamβs initiative to introduce 500% tariffs on countries buying Russian energy adds further pressure.
An anonymous Russian official told the outlet that internal pressure on Putin is growing, urging him to at least appear open to concessions.
βHe understands that without this, he risks serious consequences β especially amid a growing budget deficit,β the source said.
βοΈPresident Zelenskyy rejected Putinβs proposal for a three-day ceasefire, insisting instead on a full 30-day ceasefire.
Ukraine cannot guarantee the safety of world leaders in Moscow on May 9, President Zelenskyy stated.
Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Olha Stefanishyna believes that the new round of negotiations with Hungary on May 12 will show whether further compromise is possible or not.
She also stated that Ukraine will βdo everything possible and impossibleβ to lift the Hungarian veto.
VuΔiΔ and Fico felt βsudden malaiseβ and will probably not make it to the βvictoryβ parade in Moscow.
The President of Serbia even cut short his visit to the US due to βhealth problemsβ, without waiting for an audience with Trump.
Meanwhile, Slovak Prime Minister Fico βfell illβ and was absent from the βMay Dayβ celebrations in Slovakia.
201 artists and 103 media workers have died in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications reported.
A 59-year-old Georgian citizen working as a painter in Greece has been detained in Alexandroupolis on suspicion of espionage for Russian intelligence, Ekathimerini reports.
According to law enforcement officials, the man had lived in Greece for many years and was recruited in the fall of 2024 by a compatriot linked to the GRU. The investigation revealed that he had been monitoring military facilities in the region for at least six months. His mobile phone contained photos of equipment and descriptions of cargo, including those destined for Ukraine. The materials were sent to his handler via encrypted communication channels.
A government official said the detainee admitted he was willing to help the βfatherlandβ for any rewardβthough it remains unclear which βfatherlandβ he meant.
β‘οΈThe Russian Armed Forces may capture Ukraine in 2256 at the cost of 101 million casualties, Forbes predicts, given the current pace of Russia's advance.