Kremlin's stance on peace summit: "Remains silent on sharing insights"

Kremlin's stance on peace talks: "We prefer to keep our counsel to ourselves"

Russia won't pass messages to the attendees of the Swiss summit concerning Ukraine, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as stated by the state news agency Tass. "We haven't got a bloody thing to say to them," Peskov is quoted as saying. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow considers the conference in Switzerland a waste of time. Moscow views the West as unwilling to engage in reasonable negotiations. Russia wasn't invited to the peace summit. However, Moscow itself had also shown no interest in participation.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz still believes the 50-billion-dollar credit for Ukraine, agreed upon at the G7 summit, will be granted. "I am now completely sure that it'll work out," Scholz said in an interview with ZDF. "It's now clear for Ukraine that they'll receive the support."

A fire has been reported on a gas pipeline in the Russian region of Saratov. According to the region's governor, Roman Busargin, the incident occurred near the city of Saratov, which is approximately 470 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The pipeline has been shut down, Busargin said. He describes it as an accident. Unusual heat is believed to have caused a pressure drop, which led to the fire, according to Busargin's Telegram post. Nobody was hurt. The Kyiv Independent news portal reports that local residents are reporting several explosions and a massive fire.

A Russian military aircraft has violated Swedish airspace, according to reports from Stockholm. The Su-24 combat aircraft was intercepted by a Swedish Jas-39 Gripen fighter jet south of the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, the Swedish Defense Ministry reported. The incident lasted only a few minutes, according to SVT. Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom called the Russian behavior unacceptable and announced that he would summon the Russian ambassador. The Swedish Defense Ministry reported that there had been no such violation by Russian military jets since 2022. Sweden has recently become a member of NATO and announced this week that it would participate in airspace monitoring under NATO command.

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni dismissed the conditions put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin for peace talks with Ukraine as "propaganda." "It seems to me that this proposal for negotiations with Ukraine, telling them to withdraw from Ukraine, is not particularly effective," Meloni said at a press conference to conclude the G7 summit in Italy. Putin made the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine a condition for a ceasefire and peace talks the day before the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland. Kiev was also required to renounce NATO membership.

Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer sees the Ukraine conference in Switzerland as a possible way out of a dead-end situation. "We're like in a western echo chamber. We're all in agreement, but that's not enough," the Austrian Chancellor says. The EU and the USA are trying to find more allies to increase pressure on Moscow in the Ukraine war. "Without parts of Asia, Africa, and South America, it won't work for us to bring the Russian Federation to a change of heart," Nehammer adds. The presence of India and Brazil - although not at the ministerial level - at the meeting is a "first ray of hope," according to Nehammer.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects a memorable conference in Switzerland. "History will be written here," Zelenskyy says. The summit is supposed to be about first steps towards peace in Ukraine. However, experts and critics anticipate little progress since Russia is not represented at the summit. The organizers of the summit have designated three thematic focal points: nuclear security, food security, and humanitarian issues. The list of topics to be discussed is significantly shorter than the contents of a ten-point plan that Zelenskyy had proposed. In it, he demanded, among other things, the withdrawal of Russian soldiers from occupied territories and the cessation of hostilities.

A peace conference for Ukraine in Switzerland is intended to help stop Russian aggression against the country. What can be expected from the summit without Russian representation? The participant list should make Moscow listen, says NTV reporter Weichert.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sees the pressure on Moscow increasing due to the peace conference in Switzerland. The two-day meeting of 92 countries and eight international organizations will bring back the idea that joint efforts can stop a war and establish trust and peace, Zelenskyy says just before the delegations' deliberations begin. "We've given diplomacy a chance." Meanwhile, the host is toning down expectations for the conference. "Our goals are modest," says Swiss Federal President Viola Amherd. The aim is to inspire a process for a sustainable and just peace. Central to this is the significance of international law as the basis of international order. "Russia's attack violates this severely," Amherd says.

4:59 US Vice President Harris Arrives at Bürgenstock for Ukraine Peace ConferenceThe US Vice President, Kamala Harris, jetsets to Switzerland for a peace conference regarding Ukraine. The Swiss news agency Keystone-sda reports this. Harris traveled from Zurich airport and was flown by helicopter to the conference site on Bürgenstock. President Joe Biden is representing Harris, as he's attending a campaign rally in California. It's uncertain if there'll be a joint statement following the conference. Various issues among the delegations persist. There's also a possibility of a statement without consensus.

14:34 Russian Ships Send Glimpses of "Admiral Gorshkov"Moscow deploys four Russian Navy ships to Cuba, including the submarine with an atomic propulsion system and the warship "Admiral Gorshkov". The frigate will attract onlookers as Russia allows tours aboard the ship.

14:01 Germany Denies Blocking New Russia Sanctions; Scholz Addresses EU DiscussionsGerman Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, denies allegations that Germany is hindering a new EU sanctions package against Russia. He clarifies to Welt TV and other media outlets of Axel Springer Concern that discussions are underway on the plan's execution. The discussion revolves around ensuring that the German economy can continue its operations, without goods intended for South America, Asia, or Africa being diverted to Russia. Scholz remains hopeful for an agreement soon. The new sanctions package includes measures to combat sanctions evasion, as well as plans for restricting Russian liquid gas, but no import ban, as the European Parliament demands.

13:38 United States Announces Aid Packages for UkraineThe US Vice President, Kamala Harris, announces a $1.5 billion aid package to strengthen the Ukrainian energy sector. The funding is intended to rebuild damaged energy infrastructure, as Harris' office reports to the media participating in the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland. Additionally, humanitarian aid exceeding $379 million for Ukraine is under planning.

13:18 Hunter Discusses Expectations for the Peace Conference: Putin Summit After Switzerland?Following the G7 summit, supportive countries of Ukraine will convene in Switzerland for a peace conference. The conference aims to determine what to anticipate from this meeting and the steps outlined in the peace plan for Ukraine. Political scientist, Thomas Hunter, speaks with ntv about it:

12:43 Swedish Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Military AircraftA Russian military aircraft allegedly invaded Sweden's airspace, according to a report by the Swedish military. The aircraft intruded east of the Baltic Sea island of Gotland and disregarded warnings, the military claims. Two Swedish fighter jets were then deployed to intercept the SU-24. Earlier, the Finnish border guard raised concerns about four Russian military aircraft entering Finnish airspace on the previous Monday. Sweden frequently raises concerns about a potential Russian invasion, especially regarding the strategically crucial island of Gotland.

12:07 Ukraine's 47th Mechanized Brigade Shares Experiences of Modern WarfareThe 47th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces frequently encounters intense combat. They utilize US Bradley Combat Tanks, particularly the M1A1 type, in such situations. The heavily-used military equipment reportedly requires extensive maintenance, according to the brigade. "Each piece of equipment must be repaired and improved, particularly foreign equipment, because no country at peace will ever understand the realities of modern warfare," says the 47th via social media. "The main advantage of the Bradleys is its precision, excellent stability, and agility despite its substantial weight," states a commander. The Bradley functions well in both daytime and night combat situations due to its reliable thermal imaging cameras.

11:35 Russia Reports Casualties after Ukrainian AttacksAccording to Russian reports, at least five people were killed, and numerous others were hurt in Ukrainian attacks on the Russian border town, Schebekino. The governor of the region, Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, confirms that four bodies were recovered from the debris of a house and a woman died in the hospital. Six civilians sustained injuries during an attack on Friday night. The 40,000-resident city of Schebekino is located in the south of the Russian region, Belgorod, which borders the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv. Russian troops commenced a ground offensive in May 10th.

10:56 Ukrainian Intelligence Confirms Drone Swarm Attack on Russian AirfieldThe head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, verifies to the War Zone medium a drone swarm attack on the Morosowsk airfield in Russia. Allegedly, at least 70 drones were employed in this attack, with Su-34 fighter jets purportedly stationed at the base. Budanov doesn't provide a number of downed jets, stating that the analysis of Russian losses is still ongoing. War Zone released satellite images, which appear to show signs of the alleged attack:

10:15 Ukraine Amassing Resources for the Next War PhaseUkraine is meticulously and systematically preparing for a new phase in the conflict.

The incident occurred near the island of Gotland.

The Ukrainian military has been taking out Russian air defense systems over the past few weeks, preparing for intense usage of Ukrainian Su-24 fighter jets armed with British and French air-to-ground missiles, as well as the deployment of F-16 fighter jets. Military expert Nico Lange told Bild that Ukraine is meticulously and systematically gearing up for the employment of its Su-24 fighter jets with British and French air-to-ground missiles and the deployment of F-16s. Ukraine had previously stated its goal of acquiring air superiority to counter Russian forces. The first F-16s are projected to engage in combat missions this summer, marking a new phase. However, Kiev is anticipated to only be able to deploy a few combat jets initially due to a shortage of pilots. It is hoped that the F-16s will be capable of shooting down planes that launch bombing runs on Ukrainian territory from Russian territory.

At 09:33, Olaf Scholz responded to Putin's peace proposals. Scholz stated that the peace proposals lodged by Putin for the initiation of peace talks were not discussed at the G7 summit. He told ZDF that everyone was aware these proposals were not genuine but rather related to the conference in Switzerland. Putin had put forth conditions for peace talks with the Ukrainian government on Friday, including Russia ceasing hostilities if Ukraine abandoned its aspirations to join NATO and the Ukrainian army withdrawing from the four regions Russia had declared annexed.

At 09:01, ntv-Reporter Schmidt-Denker declared that the G7 summit in Italy had concluded and the peace conference in Switzerland was about to commence. Not all G7 participants were traveling further, according to Schmidt-Denker. He elaborated on the summit's success and the support being arranged for Ukraine.

Heusgen anticipates no political progress from the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland this weekend, stating that it's about images of solidarity and hopefully a powerful closing declaration. Central to the summit is the participation of representatives from countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Russia has discredited the international rule-based order, and this is not indifferent to countries in the global south, according to Heusgen. He also highlighted that the two-day summit provides an insight into the extent of Russia and China's restraint in the international community.

According to military expert Nico Lange, a process could be set in motion at the peace conference in Switzerland that could later involve Russia. Lange stated that it's worth meeting, and principles such as no blocking of food supplies, no nuclear weapons, and prisoner of war exchange are generally accepted. Russia will only be ready for serious arms reduction talks in Ukraine when it is under military pressure there, according to Lange.

The CEO of defense contractor KNDS does not see that the current German government is strengthening Germany's defense capabilities. In contracts, he sees no significant change yet. The vast majority of KNDS' order intake for 2023 did not come from Germany but from other NATO countries, according to Haun. He stresses that Germany has a stock of only around 300 combat-ready battle tanks, and Augsburg can still defend, but Munich and Berlin cannot anymore.

EU Commissioner Thierry Breton predicts that the European Union will have a production capacity of 1.7 million crucial 155mm artillery shells by the end of the year, with the number expected to exceed 2 million in the next year. The goal is to reach 2.5 million, according to Breton, and he believes this will be achieved by the end of 2025. The EU has passed a program of 500 million Euros to finance a series of factories for the production of munitions. The Ukraine has been suffering from a significant shortage of 155mm artillery shells compared to the Russian side for a long time.

The EU states have agreed in principle on the start of accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova. According to the Belgian EU Council presidency, the first government conferences are expected to be summoned on June 25. The decision must be formally confirmed at an EU Council meeting on June 21, and the approval of the Netherlands Parliament is also required. The president of the European Council of Heads of State and Government, Charles Michel, declared regarding the fundamental decision that the EU will keep its promises and support Ukraine and Moldova "on the way to membership." In June, the European Commission had already certified that Ukraine and Moldova had fulfilled all the conditions for the start of accession talks.

04:54 massacre in attacks across Russia and Ukraine In the Russian region of Belgorod, local authorities report that six individuals were tragically killed on the previous day. Four bodies were discovered trapped in the debris of a tall buildings in Schebekino, while another man met his demise from a Ukrainian drone attack on his vehicle, and a woman lost her life due to rocket-propelled fire in the settlement of Oktjabrski. The governor of the province, Wjatscheslaw Gladkow, briefed the public on these grim incidents. On the Ukrainian side, one citizen was killed in Schostka in the Sumy Oblast, as per Ukrainian military reports. Locals in Sumy region continuously face Russian attacks.

02:26 Russia apparent plans for evacuating cultural artifacts from Crimea Russia may be preparing to move cultural and historical artifacts from the occupied Crimea, a claim made by the Ukrainian news outlet Ukrajinska Prawda. This information is based on a purported letter from the Russian-led "Culture Ministry" of Crimea to museum directors, which discusses potential evacuations. The Russians are rumored to be speeding up the classification and digital evaluation of artifacts for electronic records. The Ukrainian National Resistance Center fears that the most precious artifacts from Crimea may be sent to internationally recognized Russian territories.

00:39 Dozen Ukrainian children returned to their regions following captivity As per Ukrainian authorities, a dozen children residing in Russian-controlled areas have now been returned to regions under Ukrainian control. The governor of the Chernihiv region, Oleksandr Prokudin, announced on Telegram that three boys and nine girls, aged between 2 to 17, have returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory in the southern region of Kherson. Kiev alleges that Moscow had kidnapped nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children from eastern and southern Ukraine ever since the invasion began in February 2022. More children are still in the grip of Russian control. The safe return of these children is an urgent priority for the Ukrainian government.

23:07 Clash reported over gas transshipment terminal in Kursk Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking a gas pipeline export hub that serves Russian gas exports in Russia. The governor of the Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, announced on Telegram that several settlements were targeted in this alleged assault, including the city of Sudzhaya. The objectives of these attacks include the last functioning distribution center for Russian gas exports to Europe via Ukraine, located in Sudzhaya. Smirnov mentioned that there were no damages, but two people were reportedly injured, while a home was destroyed. The responsible Ukrainian company denies disrupting the Russian gas transit through their operations.

22:13 Austin: Putin cannot dictate peace terms to Ukraine US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized that Russian President Putin is incapable of dictating conditions for peace to Ukraine. "Putin unlawfully seized sovereign Ukrainian territory," Austin asserted after a NATO defense ministers gathering in Brussels. "We don't want any leader to make a unilateral decision to erase the borders of their neighbor and annex its territory. Such actions go against the collective vision we all aspire to." Putin has the power to bring an end to this conflict, but he has failed to do so thus far. Previously, Putin insisted that the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territories under Russia's control was a necessary condition for a possible peace settlement. However, he has since repeated the demands he made at the outset of the conflict he initiated in February 2022, such as the requirement for a neutral, non-aligned, and nuclear-free Ukraine, and a Ukrainian government that is not controlled by Nazis - a term that Russia deems synonymous with a favorable leadership in Kiev.

21:45 Germany hinders a new set of sanctions against Russia The EU countries initially intended to discuss a 14th package of sanctions against Russia at their usual gathering of permanent representatives. However, Germany raised concerns over these plans, and the issues remained unresolved. The decision to initiate accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova is a significant step - particularly towards Kiev. The Ukraine peace conference is set to begin in Switzerland on the following weekend.

21:34 EU-Members agree on entrance talks with Ukraine and Moldova The EU-nations have substantially agreed to start entrance negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. This information was shared by the Belgian EU Presidency in Brussels.

21:07 Finland: Multiple Russian aircraft allegedly violated their airspace The Finnish Border Guard suspects that four Russian military aircraft breached the airspace of the northern European country on a previous Monday. Initially, the Defense Ministry presumed only a single aircraft was involved in the violation. However, as the investigation into the matter proceeded, evidence emerged suggesting that three more aircraft also transgressed the border. This supposedly consisted of two bomber aircraft and two fighter jets.

As per Putin's latest update, a staggering 700,000 Russian military personnel are actively engaged in combat within Ukraine. Previously, back in December, he had mentioned a figure of 617,000 troops. The British intelligence service recently assessed that approximately 500,000 Russian soldiers have been either killed or injured since the onset of the invasion in February. According to reports from Mediazona and the Russian division of the BBC, a horrifying 136,500 Russian soldiers have met their end in Ukraine. Public sources have confirmed around 50,000 deaths of Russian soldiers, yet the Kremlin has only publicly acknowledged the demise of approximately 6,000 troops, which happened back in September of this year.