Putin warns Europe against sending troops to Ukraine: "That means a war with Russia"
Key Points:
- Russian strikes in Ukraine have killed eight civilians and wounded dozens, with attacks targeting residential areas and critical infrastructure in cities including Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, Kramatorsk, and Zhytomyr.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that sending European troops into Ukraine would constitute a direct war with Russia, while denying any threat from Russia to European countries.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed Ukrainian strikes on chemical industry facilities in Russia and expressed willingness to meet Putin at the upcoming G20 summit, though Kremlin officials have not confirmed Putin's attendance.
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk highlighted recent border incidents as potential precursors to intensified Russian provocations at Ukraine's borders with Europe.
- Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, stated readiness for negotiations without suspending military operations, while former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Putin desires a deal to end the war, attributing the stalemate to personal animosity between Putin and Zelenskyy.