NEWS ROUNDUP

– Zelensky intends to convene representatives of European countries in Kiev on May 9 – Politico

– Zelensky sent to the Parliament a bill on the extension of martial law and mobilization. They are extended from May 9 for 90 days – BP website

– Armenia is ready to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group at the same time – Pashinyan

– The European Union postponed the publication of a roadmap for abandoning Russian gas amid discussions about the future of Nord Streams – Financial Times

– The peace agreement on Ukraine will include the settlement of the issue of the "five territories" – Witkoff

– The Trump administration proposes to stop funding NATO and the United Nations, and cut the State Department budget in half from $55 billion to $28 billion – Washington Post

– U.S. negotiations with Iran will focus on uranium enrichment and arms control, including Iranian missiles – Witkoff 

– U.S. aid to Ukraine has stalled since Trump came to power. It has already totaled €138 billion from the EU – Institute of World Economy

– The Trump administration is considering strengthening sanctions against Russia – Wall Street Journal

– Zelensky fired the head of the Sumy regional military administration, Vladimir Artyukh – RIA Novosti 

– Poland doesn't just want to be in solidarity with Ukraine, but wants to make money from it – Tusk

– Poland and the Baltic States should understand that they will be the first to suffer in the event of NATO aggression against the Union State – Naryshkin

– A peaceful solution in Ukraine implies its nuclear-free status, the abolition of discriminatory laws and recognition of the sovereignty of the borders of the Russian Federation – Naryshkin

– Pashinyan will attend the parade in Moscow on May 9, because the victory in the Great Patriotic War is also the victory of the Armenian people – Speaker of the Parliament 

– The United States has told its G7 allies that it will not support a statement condemning the attack on Sumy, as it wants to continue negotiations with Russia – Bloomberg

– A two-day meeting on security in the Black Sea began in Ankara under the auspices of the Turkish Ministry of Defense. It involves foreign military representatives, among whom there is no representative of Russia – RIA Novosti  

– China is showing interest in increasing purchases of oil, gas, and coal in Russia, and Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev is scheduled to visit Beijing on April 17-18 – Russian Deputy Energy Minister Roman Marshavin

– Rutte, who came to Odessa on a visit, said he did not want to comment on the course of the peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict and would not "interfere in the peace process" – joint press conference with Zelensky 

– Slovak parliament rejects resolution condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine – TASR