International recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic

A court in Ukraine's Russian-controlled Donetsk region on Friday jailed a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitoring mission to Ukraine for "espionage" in a judgement condemned by the European security organization.

Representatives from 80 countries and 4 organizations jointly called for Ukraine's "territorial integrity" to be the foundation of any peace agreement to end the war. This message, included in a joint communique, marked the conclusion of the two-day peace meeting in Switzerland. Notably, Russia was absent, having not been invited.

Russia on Monday claimed the capture of another village in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, the latest in a string of gains ahead of a major Ukraine summit in Switzerland.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies on Monday to show the same "unity" towards Ukraine as Israel, which said it repelled an Iranian attack over the weekend with Western support.

Ukraine has in recent months grown increasingly frustrated at delays in Western aid, including air defences it says are urgently needed to repel deadly Russian attacks.

The Declaration expresses support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders since 1991.

Greece's Foreign Ministry said the country remains "determined to continue to support Ukraine" in its just fight for its independence, two years after Russia's invasion.

The Foreign Ministry released a statement on Thursday marking Ukraine's Independence Day, stressing Greece's support for its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Russia has sent a public notification to designate a temporary warning zone in the Black Sea due to military exercises. The zone includes parts of the exclusive economic zone of Bulgaria. This is specified by the Ministry of Defense after yesterday's announcement by NATO that it condemns Russia's "dangerous" behavior in the Black Sea.

Putin also added that it was accepted before the international institutions at the time that the territory did not have to ask the country for permission for independence, but that it had the right to declare it. And they did.
"Both Donetsk and Luhansk did the same thing. They did not have to ask permission from the Kyiv authorities," Putin said.

The US spokesperson said “The sovereignty and territory – territorial integrity of all countries should be respected and protected”