ON-SCREEN GLITCHES
After practically 4 years, the warfare stands at a fragile juncture as United States President Donald Trump pushes for a peace deal on phrases that Ukraine and its European allies concern shall be slanted in the direction of Russia.
Russia says it’s ready to listen to from Washington how its draft peace proposals have been modified following consultations between america, Ukraine and the Europeans.
The state of the battle – and the query of when it would finish – dominated the primary section of the “Direct Line” occasion, which Putin has held in numerous codecs most years since 2001.
He sometimes makes use of it to subject dozens of questions on every thing from nuclear weapons to the value of eggs. Some are posed by journalists and others by bizarre Russians, who can submit them on-line or by telephone.
The Kremlin mentioned it had acquired greater than 2.6 million questions upfront. It kinds the occasion as an illustration of Putin’s openness to answer questions on any subject, and his willingness to answer the considerations of residents.
However there have been transient glitches within the choreographed proceedings when a number of sarcastic feedback flashed up on a display displaying incoming textual content messages.
“Not a direct line, however a circus” mentioned one of many messages, which was proven on dwell TV earlier than the digital camera moved away.
STATE OF THE FRONT LINES
Putin laid out an in depth evaluation of the battlefield scenario, saying Russia was advancing alongside your entire entrance line and Ukrainian forces have been in retreat.
At one level he gave the ground to Naran Ochir-Goryaev, a senior lieutenant and embellished Hero of Russia who described his half in Russia’s storming of the Ukrainian city of Siversk.
Putin apologised to the widow of a soldier killed in motion, who mentioned her household had not but acquired the compensation as a consequence of them.
Ukraine says Russian good points are incremental and have come at the price of large casualties. It says it’s preventing again in places similar to Kupiansk within the northeast, which Russia mentioned it had captured final month.
Kyiv has lengthy known as for a ceasefire and mentioned it doesn’t imagine that Putin is severe about searching for peace. Russia says it’s Ukraine that’s refusing to come back to the desk.
Putin mentioned a pointy slowing within the Russian financial system – to 1 per cent development this 12 months from 4.3 per cent in 2024 – was the results of acutely aware actions by the central financial institution to convey down the speed of inflation.
Whereas his press convention was underway, the financial institution – below heavy strain from companies, banks and a few politicians to convey down rates of interest – introduced it was chopping its key charge by half a share level to 16 per cent.
