DAILY MAIL
Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to “finish off” Ukrainian forces, defying a U.S.-backed ceasefire by launching strikes on a Ukrainian energy facility in Kherson. Speaking at the International Arctic Forum in Murmansk, he asserted that Russia is making steady progress toward its objectives. Putin also suggested placing Ukraine under U.N.-controlled governance to facilitate elections, claiming President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration is illegitimate due to an expired term and martial law restrictions.
In response, European leaders, including U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have called for a strict peace deadline for Putin to end the war. A summit in Paris discussed the possibility of deploying a multinational force to enforce a future peace agreement, with France and Germany expressing interest. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy criticized Russia’s reluctance to engage in direct peace talks and urged stronger U.S. involvement, emphasizing that sanctions should remain in place to pressure Russia into meaningful negotiations.