Kremlin-Security Council Moved From Friday To This Afternoon

Wires reporting comments from Kremlin spox Dmitri Peskov. States that President Vladimir Putin has brought forward a meeting of the Security Council, due to take place this coming Friday, to later today. Does not offer a reason as to why the change has been made. Comes as Ukraine is seen to bestepping up its military activities on the front line, even if it is not yet a full counteroffensive.

• Peskov states that it 'categorically disagrees' with the assessment of French President Emmanuel Macron who stated that Russia has become a vassal state of China. Peskov: 'Russia's ties with China are those of a strategic partner...it is not about dependency'.
• On the Turkish election the Kremlin, 'Hopes Russia's close cooperation with Turkey will continue whoever wins the election.' Adds that 'Turkey is a mature democracy capable of holding transparent elections and preventing illegal acts.'
• Kremlin says it 'takes an extremely negative view of the British military help for Ukraine', but states that 'British help will not affect the outcome of Russia's 'special military operation' in Ukraine.'
• Calls WaPo articlealleging that Wagner mercenary group head Yevgeniy Progozhin offered to give up the position of Russian troops to Ukraine in exchange for a pullback of Ukrainian forces around Wagner positions in Bakhmut 'a hoax'.
• Onspeculation about health of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko: 'It's best to go on official announcements from Minsk on the subject and there have been none.'