War in Ukraine: Putin says “niet” to Zelensky, NATO fears an attack from Russia “as early as 2030”

Have you missed the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening. Here is the gist of this Friday, June 5, 2026, on the 1,563rd day of the conflict.

Fact of the day

We believed in it, but that was to underestimate the determination of the master of the Kremlin. When, on Thursday evening, Volodymyr Zelensky published an open letter to Vladimir Putin offering him a face-to-face meeting to talk about peace, Donald Trump found the idea “great” and the Russian president’s spokesperson opened the door ajar: “Zelensky can come to anything moment in Moscow,” said Dmitri Peskov.

But Putin slammed her violently this Friday. “I don’t see the point in a meeting. This is only of interest to the Ukrainian side in order to stop the advance of our armed forces,” declared Vladimir Putin from St. Petersburg. “We assume that hostilities will end one day. And, without a doubt, they will stop when we have achieved the objectives we have set for ourselves,” he added.

“Unfortunately, the Russian side still chooses war. […] He simply does not want to end the war,” reacted the rejected Ukrainian president.

Today’s statement

« According to the assessment of our intelligence services, as well as that of other NATO countries, there could be an attack by Russia against NATO as early as 2030. »

Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, went into very, very pessimistic mode during a trip to an arms factory. This warning echoes that of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte who said in December that Russia “could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years.”

The number of the day

185. The number of prisoners of war from each side exchanged this Friday between Ukraine and Russia. According to Volodymyr Zelensky, the soldiers who returned to Ukraine are “fighters from the armed forces, the national guard and the border guard service.” A civilian also returned home.

The trend

Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer and Friedrich Merz will meet Volodymyr Zelensky in London on Sunday to discuss “support for Ukraine” and “strengthening pressure on the Russian war effort”, announces the Elysée.

Our file on the war in Ukraine

The French president, the British Prime Minister and the German Chancellor will first meet all three, before receiving the Ukrainian president. “This meeting will also provide an opportunity to take stock of the work undertaken in favor of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and on the European continent, particularly within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing,” adds the French presidency.