Politics · June 2026

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict remains possible, but accused Western countries of demanding new concessions from Moscow. He dismissed European statements about potential contacts with Russia as unserious and said he did not understand the outcomes of the G7 summit in Evian. Lavrov also noted that France and Britain had sent representatives to talks in Moscow and that Russia will not make certain concessions in the settlement process. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, condemned Western countries for placing military bases on foreign territories and called their sanctions against Russia illegal. (ongoing coverage) Russia publicly urged countries to leave the International Criminal Court. The deputy leader of the Yabloko party was sentenced to 7 years in prison for Telegram posts. Russia announced it will sue Baltic states over discrimination against Russian speakers.