**Russia Blocks Local Efforts to Evacuate Flood Victims**
Locals in Ukraine who were trying to help people evacuate from flooded areas on their own were interfered with by Russian military forces. The Russians confiscated the locals’ boats and threatened them, forcing them to stop their efforts.
**Ukraine Thanks Ireland for Support**
President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Ireland for its support of Ukrainians who fled Russia’s full-scale invasion.
**Russia Claims Western Countries Want to Create Instability**
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that some Western countries are dissatisfied with the restoration of Russian-American relations and want to “create instability in the world.”
**New Round of Talks Between US and Russia**
A Russian delegation arrived at the residency of the U.S. Consul General in Istanbul, starting the second round of Russian-U.S. talks.
**France and Ukraine Discuss Use of Ukrainian Minerals**
France and Ukraine have been discussing the use of Ukrainian minerals for the purposes of the French defense industry since October 2024.
**Russia Says Troops Continue to Advance**
Russia’s Defense Ministry claims that its troops continue to advance and push Ukrainian forces out of the salient. Kyiv has not commented on purportedly lost settlements in Kursk Oblast.
**Ukraine Regulates Foreign Banks**
According to Ukrainian banking law, a foreign bank can only operate in Ukraine if it opens a local branch or obtains a banking license.
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