ZELENSKY DEMANDS SOME VLAD COMPANY

UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday a meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin would be "the most effective way forward" amid stalled diplomatic attempts to end the war.

- BY OWEN CONLON

Ukraine launched drone strikes on Russia, triggering a fire at a nuclear power plant as Ukrainians marked their independence day with the conflict now in its fourth year.

After a push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia on Friday ruled out any immediate Putin-Zelensky meeting.

But Zelensky said yesterday the "format of talks between leaders is the most effective way forward," renewing calls for a bilateral summit with Putin.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western countries of seeking "a pretext to block negotiations" and slammed Zelensky for "demanding an immediate meeting at all costs".

Zelensky vowed "to push Russia to peace" as he spoke at a ceremony attended by US envoy Keith Kellogg - whom he awarded the Ukrainian Order of Merit and other Western officials.

NUCLEAR

Meanwhile, Russia accused Ukraine of launching drone attacks that sparked a fire at a nuclear power plant in its western Kursk region overnight.

The fire at the nuclear facility was quickly extinguished with no injuries reported, according to the plant's press service on Telegram.