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Lavrov: “Vatican talks unrealistic.” Putin announces buffer zone on Ukrainian border

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Moscow rules out the Vatican as a venue for mediation as tension on the eastern front escalates with new military tests and drone strikes. Kiev denounces Russian aggression and calls for more international pressure

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described the idea of hosting peace talks between Russia and Ukraine at the Vatican as “unrealistic”. The statement, reported by the Tass agency during a conference in Moscow, comes just a few hours after rumours by the Wall Street Journal that the Holy See had been chosen for a new round of negotiations in mid-June. The meeting was also expected to be attended by a US delegation, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg.

Putin: “Buffer zone to protect borders”
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin announced the start of military operations to create a “security buffer zone” along the Russian-Ukrainian border. The Russian president spoke during a visit to the Kursk region, the scene in recent months of a Ukrainian incursion, which Moscow claims to have completely repelled.
“Our armed forces are facing the task of creating this protective strip. The enemy firing positions are constantly under attack. Work is underway,’ the Kremlin chief said, adding that the area will affect the oblasts of Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod.
Putin also expressed his intention to return the local populations to their villages, restoring infrastructure and transport “when security conditions permit”.

Kiev’s reaction: “Putin does not want peace”
The Ukrainian response was not long in coming. Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha harshly criticised Putin’s remarks, claiming that they represented “clear evidence” of Russia’s lack of will to pursue a peaceful solution.
“At a time when efforts are being made for a lasting ceasefire, Putin is talking about expanding the conflict. He is the only reason why people keep dying,’ Sybiha wrote on X.
Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi also took the same line, calling the Russian plan “aggressive” and contrary to international peacemaking efforts.

Missile test in the Barents Sea and new drone attacks
In a climate of increasing tension, Russia carried out a test of the Kalibr cruise missile from the nuclear submarine Arkhangelsk in the Barents Sea. The target, located about 600 kilometres away, was successfully hit, the Black Sea Fleet reported. The Arkhangelsk, launched in December 2024, is one of the latest additions to Russia’s strategic fleet.

At the same time, the Ministry of Defence reported that it had shot down 112 Ukrainian drones during the night, 24 of which were directed towards Moscow. Following the downing of a drone in the Yelets industrial zone in the Lipetsk region, eight people were injured and a fire broke out. This was reported by Governor Igor Artamonov via Telegram.

A conflict moving away from diplomacy
The combination of these actions – the exclusion of the Vatican from the talks, the expansion of militarisation at the borders, the missile test and the repeated attacks – confirms the escalation of the conflict. While Russia insists on strengthening its defences, Kiev continues to make appeals for stronger international pressure on Moscow, in a context where diplomacy appears increasingly distant.

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