Trump backs down on missiles to attack. Leo XIV: 'Come a time of truce'

Russia is using "chemical weapons" against Ukrainian troops and the attacks are "intensifying". This was said by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas at the end of the Foreign Affairs Council. "It is surprising but since the beginning of the invasion there have been more than 9,000 cases of attacks with banned chemical weapons, the intelligence services of the Netherlands and Germany say so and the fact that they are increasing is worrying, it wants Kiev to surrender," she added.

The now former Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal has entrusted his farewell letter to his social networks after resigning as prime minister, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's will to hand over the government to Yulia Svyrydenko. "Thank you to our defenders who hold the front and protect Ukraine! Thank you to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky for the trust! Thank you to the whole team for your tireless work for our country! Glory to Ukraine!" reads Shmyhal's Telegram profile.

A new offensive campaign by pro-Russian hackers Noname057(16) against Italy, which in recent days hosted the International Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine. In the crosshairs of the Ddos (Distributed denial of service) attacks, among others, regions such as Tuscany, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna and Valle d'Aosta and telecommunication companies such as Tiscali. At the Rome Conference, reads the claim posted by Noname, '10 billion euro was allocated for the reconstruction of Ukraine. 'Support for Ukraine is an investment for the world, freedom and our common future,' said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Italy could allocate these funds to strengthen cybersecurity but preferred to subsidise 'Ukrainian terrorists', considering it more important'. The National Cybersecurity Agency, in anticipation of the attacks, had previously alerted institutions and companies a few days earlier and provided information and support to those concerned. The intervention, explain Agency sources contacted by ANSA, 'avoided interruptions and malfunctions of the attacked websites. This is the result of an overall and significant improvement in the country's response capacity. And it shows greater maturity and awareness on the part of businesses and public administrations, but also of the deployment of the Pnrr resources that Acnrr has made available to defend itself'.

Speaking from China today, Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov said he was confident that Moscow's trading partners would not give up their cooperation with Russia even if Donald Trump were to introduce the 100 per cent secondary sanctions threatened yesterday if a peace deal for Ukraine is not reached within 50 days. A measure that would hit Beijing first of all. These countries 'have international obligations and, knowing these partners of ours, I do not see how they can give up their independent policy, the policy of compliance with agreements reached both through two-way channels and in multilateral formats,' Lavrov told a press conference in Tianjin after attending a ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Lavrov, quoted by Interfax news agency, added that Russia is already facing "an unprecedented number of sanctions". "But I have no doubt that we will succeed," he concluded.

Trump, who has been criticised by his former strategist Steve Bannon for sending arms to Kiev, reiterated in a conversation with Britain's BBC his disappointment with his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin over the continuation of the war in Ukraine, but added that he was not yet ready for a break-up. "I'm disappointed, but I'm not done with him," Trump said; "but I'm disappointed," he insisted. Pressed to explain how he intends to end what he calls the 'bloodbath' of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the answer was: 'We're working on it'.

The US president has also considered sending Tomahawk missiles, capable of striking Moscow and St Petersburg, to Kiev, according to the Washington Post, which cites its own source. The Tomahawks are not included in the current aid packages, but could be later if Trump decides to increase the pressure on Putin. The Wp also reports that Washington could authorise Uraina to use the 18 long-range ATACMS missiles currently in the country at their maximum range of 300 km. Kiev could thus strike military bases, airports, and supply depots in the heart of Russia. The package could also include other ATACMS.

First reactions to Trump's 50-day ultimatum to Russia, under penalty of harsh tariffs. Russia finds any ultimatum "unacceptable", Deputy Foreign Minister Serghei Ryabkov said after the US president yesterday gave Moscow 50 days to find a negotiated solution to the conflict in Ukraine. US President Donald ''Trump has issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin'', but ''Russia is not interested'' in his statements. This is how the deputy chairman of Russia's National Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, commented on 'X' on Trump's latest intervention on Russia and the war in Ukraine, with the prospect of imposing ''severe tariffs''.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meanwhile received Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Beijing. This was announced by the Moscow Foreign Ministry, explaining that Lavrov is in the Chinese capital 'as part of his participation in the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)'. The note states that "a number of issues related to bilateral political contacts at the highest level were discussed," including preparations for Russian leader Vladimir Putin's visit to China to attend the SCO summit and World War II anniversary celebrations.

Russia's Tass news agency reported that Xi met with Lavrov after the Chinese president held a 'general meeting' with Sco foreign ministers. Lavrov met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday to discuss Ukraine and relations with the US. The Russian foreign minister arrived in China after a visit to North Korea, where he received assurances of support in the conflict with Ukraine.

A new sanctions package against Russia is being worked on in Brussels these days. "We want a political agreement on the 18th sanctions package on Russia, we are very close, I hope it will happen today, today or tomorrow at the latest, there is still some work to be done," said EU High Representative Kaja Kallas arriving at the Foreign Council.

Yesterday Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump himself on the phone. "It was a very good conversation," the Ukrainian leader stressed on X. "We discussed the means and solutions needed to ensure better protection of the population from Russian attacks and to strengthen our positions. We are ready to work as productively as possible to achieve peace. We agreed to talk to each other more often on the phone and to coordinate our actions in the future as well," Zelensky said, adding that Trump "shared the details of his meeting with Nato Secretary General" Mark Rutte.

On the battlefield, air defence forces destroyed or intercepted 55 Ukrainian drones on Russian territory tonight, the Moscow Defence Ministry reported this morning, quoted by the Russian news agency Tass. The drones flew '32 over the Belgorod region, 12 over the Voronezh region, six over the waters of the Black Sea, three over the Lipetsk region, one over the Rostov region, and one more over the Kursk region,' the ministry said.