Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy embarked on a diplomatic sweep of NATO capitals before a summit next week, as he seeks a clearer path to joining the military alliance.
(Bloomberg) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy embarked on a diplomatic sweep of NATO capitals before a summit next week, as he seeks a clearer path to joining the military alliance.
Zelenskiy traveled to the Czech Republic after a stop in Bulgaria.
“This is such a chance to show the courage and strength of the alliance,” the Ukrainian leader told reporters late Thursday after meeting his Czech counterpart, Petr Pavel at the Prague Castle. “But we are also talking about a clear signal, concrete decisions in the direction of the invitation. We need this motivation.”
He was scheduled to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Friday, according to officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity before an announcement.
President Joe Biden has agreed to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, fulfilling a key request from Zelenskiy despite concerns from arms control groups and human rights activists about the potential harm to civilians, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.
A Russian missile strike on a residential area killed at least five people and injured dozens more in the far western Ukrainian city of Lviv. It was the deadliest hit of the invasion on the city, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the Polish border and a key supply route and transportation hub. Ukraine and Russia announced a POW swap of 45 service members for each side.
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Markets
Russian Officialdom Unperturbed at Ruble’s Biggest Downswing
Top Russian officials couldn’t agree on what’s dragging down the ruble but signaled little alarm at the depreciation that’s brought the currency to its weakest levels since the immediate aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine.
As the ruble weakened past 93 per dollar on Thursday, Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina attributed the declines largely to a deterioration in trade that’s seen exports drop sharply while imports inch up.
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