Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “bluffing” when he said sanctions were not hurting the Kremlin. Zelenskyy was speaking after sitting in on a series of virtual meetings hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of the summit on Friday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

President Trump visited the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday to unveil its 2025 honorees for artistic excellence and tout a major renovation as lawmakers push to rename the venue for the president.