Dmitry Peskov

French President Emmanuel Macron triggered a shockwave in Europe by refusing to rule out the dispatch of Western ground troops to Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's planned visit to Türkiye for Feb. 12 has been postponed at the request of the Russian side due to the looming elections in both countries, the diplomatic sources said.

The Kremlin yesterday blasted a Ukrainian strike on a bakery in the occupied eastern Ukrainian city of Lysychansk, which officials say killed at least 28 people including a child on Feb. 3.

The strike came almost two years into Russia's grinding offensive in Ukraine, where the frontline has barely moved in months, but attacks have intensified this winter.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss the conflict in Ukraine with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan during his upcoming visit to Turkey, the RIA news agency cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Friday.

Peskov declined to say when exactly Putin would make the visit. A Turkish official told Reuters this week that it would take place on February 12.

Let us remind you that yesterday Putin landed in Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave that is sandwiched between two NATO members Poland and Lithuania. Since he came to Kaliningrad from the far east of Siberia, he had to fly about 6,500 km, and at one point NATO raised nine planes because of Putin.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday the Russian military would do everything in its power to tackle an increase in Ukrainian shelling of the border city of Belgorod.

The city has suffered an uptick in fatal shelling attacks in recent weeks that prompted city officials to evacuate hundreds and extend a closure of schools.

Russia on Monday accused Western countries of stirring up tensions in Serbia, a Moscow-friendly Balkan nation that has been rocked by protests over alleged fraud in elections held on Dec. 17.

In a firm statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the prospect of peace talks with Ukraine on terms set by Kyiv, citing the impossibility of negotiations under such conditions. Peskov's remarks were in response to comments from official Washington, where he labeled the White House's expectations for 2024 negotiations as "absolutely unrealistic."

Day 628 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

The meeting will be attended by the entire leadership of the country.
As Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out, Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a meeting during the day that will discuss the West's attempt to use the events in the Middle East to divide society.