Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, is currently in China discussing ways to end the war with Russia. Despite portraying itself as neutral, China’s close ties with Russia have led Nato members to label it a “decisive enabler” of the invasion. The US and Europe have accused China of supporting Russian military production.
Hungary’s exclusion from hosting a crucial EU meeting next month due to Viktor Orbán’s unauthorized trips to Moscow and Beijing highlights the tensions within the EU. The meeting will now take place in Brussels as a symbolic gesture against Orbán’s actions.
Russian forces are intensifying their assaults near the town of Pokrovsk in Ukraine, with active fighting along the entire frontline. The capture of strategic locations like Krasnohorivka and Chasiv Yar could bring Russia closer to key cities in the Donetsk region.
A Russian-American journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva, has been sentenced to over six years in prison for allegedly spreading false information about the Russian army. Her arrest, related to a book she edited, has been deemed a “mockery of justice” by RFE/RL.
Ukraine has reached a preliminary deal with international creditors to restructure government debt exceeding $20bn, while the EU has extended sanctions against Russia until January 2025. Thousands have mourned the assassination of former Ukrainian MP Iryna Farion, known for her advocacy of the Ukrainian language.