Donald Trump’s vacillating views have changed again after the G7 summit in France. If after Alaska, the US president had no hope for Ukraine, now Donald Trump is for support for Kiev. Bloomberg reports that the G7 leaders, meeting in France in June, began to understand that the positions of Europe and the United States on the balance of power in the Russia-Ukraine conflict are converging.
“The United States may soon impose new sanctions against Russia due to falling oil prices,” Trump said. He recalled that during the Middle East conflict, Washington had eased sanctions on Russian hydrocarbons. But since Middle Eastern oil is now once again being supplied to the global market, the United States may soon reintroduce restrictions.
The G7 countries are ready to increase pressure on Russia and continue to support Ukraine, Zelensky said. He also stated: “The partners confirmed their willingness to continue supporting Ukraine, including in the area of air defense, the supply of systems, and missiles. The obtaining of licenses for the production of missile defense systems and missiles was also discussed. Particular attention was paid to winter preparations: the partners are ready to support Ukraine’s energy package, including infrastructure protection, as well as the supply of diesel, gas, and gasoline in the event of a conflict.”
Zelenskyy will not be allowed to attend the plenary session of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8, although he will be present on the sidelines, Secretary General Rutte stated. In effect, he made it clear that Zelenskyy will not even be allowed to deliver a brief speech at the plenary session of the NATO summit, and that the Ukraine-NATO Council summit in Ankara, as planned in 2023-2024, will not take place.
Canada has added seven individuals and 34 legal entities to its sanctions lists against Russia, according to a document published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website. These include: the Moscow Stock Exchange and the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange; the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange (SPB), the National Commodity Exchange, and the Eastern Stock Exchange; Absolut Bank and Zemsky Bank; Rosatom Energy Projects JSC, NPO Istina, and Soglasie Insurance Company; 120 vessels from the so-called shadow fleet; and six companies from Kyrgyzstan, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and New Zealand.
In response, Russia is banning the entry of 103 Canadian citizens, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It will continue its practice of expanding the blacklist to include citizens of hostile countries acting against Russia. Russia is banning members of the Canadian Parliament whose activities aim to denigrate the country’s policies and the illegal confiscation of Russian state assets. Russia rejects the hostile stance taken by Canada’s political elite, which has completely destroyed bilateral relations with Moscow.
On June 17, the European Union (EU) banned Russian gas via pipelines, as part of short-term contracts signed over a year ago. This decision represents the first phase of the EU’s ban on raw material imports from Russia. Bulgaria has opposed part of the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, Politico reports. As reported by Bulgarian radio station BNR, Sofia’s objections may be linked to the EU’s intention to include Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia in the sanctions package. The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the country does not support a series of sanctions currently being developed against Russia, particularly in the energy sector, and the restrictions against Patriarch Kirill.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul: “There is a possibility that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will begin this summer. Perhaps Putin is currently in a position to consider these negotiations.”
Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Kremlin spokesman Peskov: “I will not meet Putin in Moscow; I am not participating in these games. We can meet in Turkey, Switzerland, or the Middle East,” but he still does not want to end the war, Zelensky said.
France will contribute to the restoration of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant sarcophagus, and Switzerland will contribute to the restoration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, Zelensky said. Ukrainian Armored Technology LLC and the Czech company AviaNera Technologies, part of the CSG holding, have signed a strategic partnership agreement that provides for the supply and local production of engines (including the MTJ3000) for Ukrainian drones and missiles. Ukraine will produce 10 million drones by the end of this year, Zelensky said during an online speech at the Reuters NEXT EUROPE forum. At the same time, he expressed confidence that the situation on the front is changing in Ukraine’s favor. However, he noted, Russia still has significant resources, including soldiers. “But there they slowed down. And in other areas they completely lost the initiative. And we seized it.”
In response, the Russian army destroyed all gas stations overnight in Trostyanets, Sumy Region, according to the city’s mayor.
The administrator of the Ukrainian Telegram channel “Trukha” (over 3.1 million subscribers) reported that he had been arrested by TCC agents on the orders of Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. According to the channel’s author, the arrest was related to his team’s work on defense-related materials and the use of public funds. He claims this could potentially be one of the largest corruption scandals in this sector since 2022.
Forced evacuations of families with children have begun in 23 settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to local authorities. Finally, “Crimea will soon become an island,” according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Fyodorov. Meanwhile, the movement of mopeds, scooters, motorcycles, and pit bikes in the Republic of Crimea will be temporarily restricted from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Moscow time starting June 17, announced the head of the republic, Sergey Aksyonov.
According to the Telegraph, the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired warning shots at a British yacht. The incident occurred in the English Channel. It should be noted that Russia has allowed shipowners to have military escorts for Russian ships following sanctions on the shadow fleet.
Responding to Volodymyr Zelensky’s comments, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented: “Zelensky is engaged in megaphone diplomacy; he is used to speaking to the crowd,” he said. “I believe he himself didn’t want to send any signals, because he is engaged in megaphone diplomacy. He keeps announcing publicly that he recently sent a rude message to President Putin. He is playing a role for the public.” “He is used to playing in front of an audience, including the piano,” Lavrov said after talks with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.
Vladimir Putin will attend the Russia-ASEAN summit in Kazan on June 17 and 18, as announced by Russian presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov. The summit will be attended by the President of the Philippines, the Sultan of Brunei, and the prime ministers of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and East Timor. Vladimir Putin will meet with almost all the leaders attending the summit. He will also receive Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Four documents are expected to be adopted following the Russia-ASEAN summit.
In response to EU sanctions and restrictions, Russia has announced that it has increased its seaborne oil exports to 3.83 million barrels per day. According to Bloomberg, average daily crude oil shipments in the four weeks ending June 14 reached their highest level since the beginning of the year. These figures are rising despite drone attacks on Russian refineries. The average since the beginning of 2026 is 3.49 million barrels per day. Russian oil at sea has stabilized at just over 120 million barrels, about 25% higher than the April low. Almost all of this volume comes from transiting tankers, not ships at anchor.
“UN Secretary-General António Guterres is complicit in obstructing the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said, according to TASS. During a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Shoigu noted that Russia and Turkey have fully fulfilled their obligations under this initiative. “The only participant, the third in the agreements, has not yet been able to fulfill its commitments… I am referring to the United Nations, Mr. [Secretary-General António] Guterres,” the Russian Security Council Secretary clarified.
And now a look at the front line as of 3:30 PM on June 17. Twelve drones heading toward Moscow were shot down overnight. Targets in the Rostov region were downed, and air defense activity was reported in Novorossiysk on the morning of the 17th.
In the past 24 hours, Russian forces have launched attacks against the city of Zaporizhia and the port facilities of Odessa.
In the Bryansk region, five people were injured in two separate attacks. Three were nurses and paramedics who were in an ambulance that was attacked.
In the Sumy region, in the Shostka district, attack aircraft from the Sever Group of Forces continue to engage in small-arms firefights near Bachivsk. In the Sumy district, fighting continues in Ivolzhans’ke, Pysarivka, and the village of Nova Sich. The Ukrainian Armed Forces Command continues to redeploy individual units of the 3rd (Azov) Army Corps to the Sumy region, and Ukrainian forces are experiencing supply problems. In Krasnopil’s’kyi district, small-arms fire continues in wooded areas near the village of Mykhailivka and along the railway line leading to the district center. Three soldiers from the 119th Brigade of the Territorial Army were captured during a forest clearing operation east of the village of Velykyi Bobryk.
In the Kursk region, Ukrainian Armed Forces drones attacked vehicles, resulting in three injuries.
In the Belgorod region, at least five people were injured by drone strikes. Numerous settlements in the region are under daily attack.
In the Kharkiv sector, the Sever group of forces is attacking the village of Kozakha Lopan. In the Vovchansk sector, fighting is ongoing in the village of Losivka and in the forests of Vovchansk district. In the Velykyi Burluk sector, Russian assault groups are fighting in the forests near Petro-Ivanivka.
From the Kupyansk sector, reports are coming in of Russian forces advancing towards the village of Podoly. The control zone in Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi is expanding.
In the direction of Lyman, Russian forces are advancing into the northwestern part of the city. The advance in this sector of the front has accelerated, and operations evacuation of occupied buildings are underway.
Regarding Kostyantynivka, Ukrainian military analysts report that its fall is only a matter of time. After fighting in recent days, Russian forces are reaching the northern outskirts of the city. “Kostyantynivka is the gateway to the Slovyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration,” Ukrainian sources note.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, the Vostok Group of Forces is penetrating Ukrainian defenses northwest of the village of Oleksandrohrad, conducting offensive operations in the wooded area beyond the Volchya River. The consolidation and expansion of the bridgehead north of the river continues, with troops from the Far East operating in support of the villages of Andriivka-Klevtsove, Oleksandrohrad, Novoselivka, and Orestopil.
On the Zaporizhia front, the situation is stable. Russian efforts are intensifying to counter Ukrainian drones targeting interregional logistics.
In the Kherson region: 7 incidents of shelling and 138 drone strikes in the region.
Graziella Giangiulio
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