Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to pursue "a just peace" during a speech in Kyiv on Sunday, marking the country's Independence Day amid heightened tensions following reports of a drone strike on Russia's Kursk nuclear plant. Russian officials claimed the attack forced a reactor capacity reduction and ignited a fire at the Ust-Luga fuel terminal, raising nuclear safety concerns.
International figures, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and a U.S. envoy representing former President Donald Trump, attended the commemorations. Trump reiterated support for Ukraine's sovereignty in a letter, while Norway pledged $696 million in air defense systems to bolster Kyiv's military capabilities.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western nations of obstructing peace talks, asserting that Ukrainian authorities sought to derail agreements initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump. Zelenskyy expressed openness to meeting Putin but emphasized the need for pre-negotiated security guarantees from allies to deter future aggression.
Moscow rejected discussions on such guarantees, calling European military presence in Ukraine "absolutely unacceptable." Hours later, Russia reported striking Ukrainian missile storage sites and drone facilities, escalating hostilities further.
