Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is prepared to discuss adopting a neutral stance as part of a peace deal with Russia, according to Reuters.
Be smart: Ukraine would not be able to join NATO if it adopted a neutral stance. Zelensky made the remarks during a 90-minute video call with Russian reporters, which Russian authorities had warned Russian media to refrain from participating in, per Reuters.
Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that he thought President Biden's speech in Warsaw was "powerful," despite the president's ad-libbed remark that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power," which Portman said played into the hands of Russian propagandists.
Driving the news: U.S. officials were quick to walk back the remark, emphasizing that the U.S. is not seeking regime change in Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned Sunday against the use of escalating "words or actions" if a ceasefire or withdrawal of Russian troops in the war in Ukraine is to be achieved.
Driving the news: Macron's comments, during an interview with France 3, come a day after Biden said in a speech in Poland that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power," calling Putin a "butcher." U.S. officials quickly walked back the comment, telling reporters the U.S. isn't seeking regime change in Russia.
Saturday's Warsaw address was billed as one of the signature speeches of President Biden's term — perhaps bigger than a State of the Union. Then after a Reaganesque call for "a brighter future rooted in democracy," as a literal last line before his farewell, Biden ad-libbed:
What he's saying: "For God’s sake,this man cannot remain in power."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his calls for the West to provide his country with more planes, tanks and other weaponry, in a video posted to Telegram early Sunday morning local time.
Why it matters: Zelensky's appeal came as President Biden ended his visit to Europe, where he met with NATO, G7 and the European Union leaders to offer support for Ukraine one month after Russia began its invasion.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that the United States does not "have a strategy of regime change in Russia."
Driving the news: Blinken's remarks followed a speech by President Biden on Saturday during which the president said Russia's Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power."
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's new sentence — nine years in a more remote prison colony — could potentially endanger his life and sever his contacts with the outside world, according to Vladimir Ashurkov, the director of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation.
Driving the news: Navalny protested Putin's invasion of Ukraine in court and on social media before a judge handed down the sentence, on fraud charges that were widely seen as politically motivated. Navalny has been in prison since returning to Russia in January 2021 after recuperating from an assassination attempt by Russia's security services.
None of the 132 passengers aboard a China Eastern flight that crashed earlier this week survived, Chinese officials confirmed Saturday, per the AP.
Driving the news: While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, authorities have so far used DNA analysis to identify the remains of 114 passengers and six crew members aboard the flight at the time, AP writes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with energy-producing countries gathered in Doha, Qatar, for an increase in the supply of oil and natural gas exports to Europe, the Associated Press reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff said Friday that officials were "very disappointed" in the outcome of the NATO summit this week, the Washington Post reports.
Driving the news: "We expected more bravery. We expected some bold decisions," Andrii Yermak said in a video call with the Atlantic Council, per the Post.
