German Chancellor Friedrich Merz shared on Tuesday while speaking in Turku, Finland, that “we are a long way away from the end” of the war in Ukraine. Mentioning his previous comments about France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States agreeing to lift restrictions on the range limit for weapons being sent to Ukraine, he shared that that decision was made “months ago.” He went on to say that if Russia doesn’t accept Vatican mediation, this will only show that the country has no interest in reaching a ceasefire or a peace agreement.
Russia captures 4 villages in Sumy region, Ukraine says
Ukraine said on Monday that Russian troops captured four of its villages in the Sumy region, noting that all of the local residents had been evacuated beforehand.
Sumy Region Governor Oleh Hryhorov said on Facebook that Russian forces took control of Novenke, Basivka, Veselivka and Zhuravka, hoping to create a “buffer zone.” Hryhorov also reported ongoing hostilities near the villages of Vodolagi, Volodymyrivka, Bilovodiv, Kostiantynivka, Kindrativka and Lokni. “Our defenders decisively repel enemy attacks and do not allow them to advance deeper into the territory of Sumy,” Hryhorov added.