Vladimir Putin
Swedish spy chief: Putin may not know how bad Russia's economy is
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Thomas Nilsson, head of Sweden's Must intelligence service, tells Financial Times that Russia's economy is worse than the Kremlin reports. The Kremlin manipulates statistics and may even deceive President Vladimir Putin himself about the crisis's scale. Despite the issues, Putin is expected to continue the war in Ukraine.
A senior North Korean diplomat reaffirmed strengthening ties with Russia on Saturday to mark the seventh anniversary of the 2019 summit between leader Kim Jong-un and President Vladimir Putin. Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong-gyu hailed the Vladivostok meeting as a "new turning point" in bilateral relations. He cited the June 2024 Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in Pyongyang as elevating ties to a "high level of alliance."
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US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodímir Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, to discuss a 20-point peace plan. Before the meeting, Trump had a "very productive" phone call with Vladimir Putin. Both leaders expressed optimism about progress toward ending the war, though without specific details.