- US President Joe Biden says his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is trying to “wipe out” Ukrainian culture and identity.
- Russia’s finance minister says he expects to receive $14.4bn in additional energy revenues this year, part of which will go to fund the country’s offensive in Ukraine.
- The ICC prosecutor urges Russia to cooperate with investigation into alleged war crimes.
- A Turkish official says discussions on Finland and Sweden’s efforts to join NATO are “not an easy process” but will continue, the Reuters news agency has reported.
Here are all the latest updates:
More weapons on ‘top of the agenda’: Ukrainian FM
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said more weapons would be arriving in Ukraine after holding a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
According to he report, heavy weapons were on “top of the agenda,” according to the Kyiv Independent.
⚡️ Kuleba: More US weapons arriving in Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said heavy weapons were on the “top of the agenda” of discussions between the U.S. and Ukraine after a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 27, 2022
Putin has achieved ‘exactly zero’ of his objective: US official
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby has said Putin has “achieved exactly zero” of his objectives in Ukraine, despite intensifying fighting in the east.
“Our assessment is that the Russians continue to make some incremental gains in the Donbas. Not great magnitude – not leaps and bounds. They are facing and continue to face a stiff Ukrainian resistance,” Kirby told reporters in a regular news conference.
“We are almost 100 days into this, and Mr Putin has achieved exactly zero of his strategic objectives,” he said.
Zelenskyy: Situation in east ‘extremely difficult’
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the situation in the country’s east was extremely difficult, as Russian forces continued to concentrate maximum efforts in the Donbas.
“As expected, the situation (in the Donbas) is extremely difficult,” Zelenskyy said during his night address.
“The occupiers are trying to achieve the goals they hoped to achieve in the first days of the war after February 24, at least before the 100th day of the war. That’s why they have concentrated maximum artillery and reserves. They are using both missile and airstrikes.”
He also said that two key cities in Luhansk region, Lyman and Sievierodonetsk will never be Russian, amid reports that Russian forces had captured Lyman and encircled Sievierodonetsk.
NATO talks with Sweden, Finland ‘will continue’: Turkish official
A senior Turkish official has told the Reuters news agency that talks with Sweden and Finland over the two countries’ efforts to join NATO are “not an easy process” but will continue.
Ankara has raised concerns over their recent bids to join the US-led alliance, accusing Sweden and Finland of harbouring “terrorists” while also criticising Stockholm for suspending weapons sales to Ankara in 2019 over its involvement in the war in Syria.
Swedish and Finnish diplomats met in Turkey on Wednesday to try to bridge their differences.
The Turkish official told Reuters that Sweden and Finland must take “difficult” steps to win Ankara’s support. “Further negotiations will continue. But a date doesn’t seem very close,” the official said.
Biden says Putin trying to erase Ukrainian culture and identity
US President Joe Biden has accused his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of seeking to “wipe out” Ukrainian culture and identity.
“Not only is he trying to take over Ukraine, he’s literally trying to wipe out the culture and identity of the Ukrainian people,” Biden said in a speech at a US Naval…
Read More: Ukraine live news: US says Putin wants to erase Ukrainian culture | Russia-Ukraine war News