Trump’s special envoy Kellogg calls Russia’s concerns about NATO expansion to the east legitimate, and advised Ukraine not to make any statements about refusing to negotiate with Russia, he told ABC News. “I spoke to (Ukrainian Defense Minister) Rustem Umerov, who will lead the delegation to the upcoming talks in Istanbul, and he hasn’t seen (the Russian memorandum) yet either. I always warn him: don’t say things like ‘you’re not coming. You have to show that you’re serious,'” Kellogg said.
The United States is ready to stop NATO expansion to Russia’s borders, and Ukraine’s membership in the alliance “is not up for discussion,” Trump spokesman Kellogg told ABC News. “For us, Ukraine’s membership in NATO is not up for discussion. We’re not the only country that thinks that way. I can name at least four NATO countries that also have doubts. But you need the consent of all 32 NATO countries for someone to join,” he said when asked whether Trump would accept Putin’s demands not to expand the alliance. Kellogg confirmed that non-expansion is “one of the points that Russia is raising.” “And they’re not just talking about Ukraine, they’re talking about Georgia and Moldova. We’re saying, ‘OK, completely, we can stop NATO expansion to your borders.’” “It’s a security issue,” the special representative added.
In April this year, the Red Cross reported that it had already received 400,000 appeals from Ukrainian families looking for their missing loved ones.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that a scenario in which Germany decides to transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine in the future cannot be ruled out. “Of course, that’s within the realm of possibilities,” he said in response to a question on the ZDF television channel. At the same time, Merz stressed that in the event of such deliveries, it would be necessary to train the Ukrainian army in the use of missiles for several months.
The President of Poland awarded the head of the General Directorate of Ukrainian Intelligence Budanov the Golden Cross of Honor “For Services to Poland”.
Emmanuel Macron, President of France, at SLD 2025: “If Russia confirms that it is not ready to make peace, then Washington must confirm its commitment to sanction Moscow”. “The war in Ukraine has turned into a “credibility test” for the United States.
Meanwhile, the IMF and Ukraine have reached a preliminary agreement to provide Kiev with another tranche of $500 million.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Peace will probably come only after Vladimir Putin” “I called for greater international pressure on Russia to stop the “aggressive war”. “We do not have enough pressure. The leading states are not applying enough pressure. The United States is involved, but not 100%. Other states, such as China or other states in the global South, are backing away. Putin is holding on to his seat. We will have a just peace, but perhaps only after Putin.”
He also said that he had agreed with Merz not to speak publicly about possible Taurus deliveries: “We discussed Taurus with the Chancellor in two conversations. We are working in this direction. But I cannot give you more details.”
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman George Tykhyi did not answer questions about the Ukrainian delegation’s participation in negotiations with Russia on June 2 at a briefing. He said he believed that ceasefire negotiations would continue for “weeks and months.”
Umerov’s former deputy defense minister Dmitry Klimenkov, who was involved in defense ministry procurement and resigned after the scandal with Bezrukova, has been appointed head of the state-owned company “Ukrspetsexport,” the official announcement will be made in the coming days. According to information available on social media, the right to export all weapons produced in Ukraine will be granted exclusively to “Ukrspetsexport,” which may be merged with other special importers. Klimenkov is the founder of the Muslim community “Unity of Muslims,” and Umerov’s cousin.
A shootout between border guards and a Roma camp in Transcarpathia has left a woman and a man injured. child, journalist Glagol reports. “The incident occurred during an inspection: border guards suspected that Roma could be used to illegally transport people across the border. During the clash, stones were thrown at border vehicles. The shooting began with the use of rubber bullets. After the conflict, Roma tried to block the border unit in Velykyi Berezne, but it was unblocked.
According to Oleh Dunda: “The exchange of memoranda between Russia and Ukraine will lead to nothing”. “Moscow does not want to end this war, no matter what conditions we offer”. “To imagine that Moscow started a war because of Pokrovsk or Mariupol means not understanding the nature of this regime, this empire at all”, he believes, demonstrating a poor understanding of Russian interests.
Sergei Kuzhugetovič Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Defense Council, commenting on Merz’s statement on lifting Kiev’s ban on the use of long-range weapons, said that Russia “has something to shoot in response”.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says: “Ukraine’s position on the continuation of negotiations with Russia is unclear”. The composition of the Russian delegation to the talks on Ukraine on June 2 will remain the same, the ministry says.
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya: “Russia will continue with SVO until Kiev provokes Moscow with attacks on civilian infrastructure, he said. The Russian diplomat stressed that the choice is now up to Ukraine: peace as a result of negotiations or “an inevitable defeat on the battlefield with different conditions for the end of the conflict.”
According to Russian social media sources, “Russian servicemen who destroyed the American F-16 fighter in the zone of military operations received 15 million rubles as a reward,” TASS quoted them as saying. “The award ceremony took place on May 29 in the border area in the presence of the command. Cash certificates were handed over to 12 servicemen involved in the destruction of the target.”
And now a look at the front line as of 15:00 on May 30. Overnight, Russian forces used missiles and grenades to strike targets in the Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhia regions. In the Odessa region, landings were noted in Izmail, a port city on the border with Romania.
Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked Kursk with drones one wounded. Drone debris damaged the building of Kursk City Hospital No. 1, destroying the windows of the hospital. Damage to residential buildings. The day before yesterday evening, Ukrainian forces struck the emergency room of the hospital in the village of Korenevo, Korenevsky district. The medical facility is inoperative, destroyed as a result of the attack.
In the Kursk section of the state border, GrT “Nord” attacked an assault group of the 225th detachment regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which advanced from Iskriskovshchina in the Sumy region. In the direction of Sumy, the Russian army is advancing in the area of Oleksiivka and Vodolahy; they report pressure of Russian troops on Yunakivka from the area of Loknya taken by the Russians. The offensive line in the Sumy region stretches for 27 km, the Ukrainians are putting up organized resistance. The defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is breached with the help of an FAB with a UMPK.
In the Belgorod region, in Shebekino, one soldier was injured as a result of a Ukrainian attack. In Belyanka, a tractor with an FPV drone was hit in a field. In the village of Zimov’enka, a private house was damaged by a drone attack. Another drone exploded in the yard of another house. In the Belgorod district, on the Oktyabrsky – Shchetinovka road, an FPV drone hit a truck.
In the direction of Kupyansk, Russian Armed Forces occupied Stroivka, they put a Russian flag in the village. The village is located in the Kharkiv region, adjacent to the Belgorod state border section in the direction of Valuysky District.
In the direction of Liman, Russian forces have achieved success in the village of Redkodub, located near the border of the Democratic Republic of Donbas and the Kharkiv region. Our troops raised the flag in the central part of the village, but the enemy counterattacked.
In the direction of Kostyantynivka, the Russian army liberated Shevchenko Pershe, developing the success from the Vozdvyzhenka salient.
In the direction of South Donetsk, the Group of Forces “East” repelled seven counterattacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, five of which involved armored vehicles, including the M113 armored personnel carrier, the Humvee armored vehicle and the Wolfhound armored vehicles. Our troops continue to advance from the flanks in the direction of Komar, fierce battles are underway, and the enemy is recalling reserves. Heavy fighting also continues in Novopil. The evacuation of buildings in the government-controlled territory is underway.
In the Kherson region, an attack by Ukrainian armed forces on Nova Zbur’ivka in the Hola Prystan’ district resulted in the death of two men. 11 villages were shelled.
Graziella Giangiulio
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