It won’t break me, though.”Whether Nad is incarcerated for helping Ukraine or not, his predicament already shines a light on how leaders in a pocket of the continent are emerging to break unity with the European Union and NATO and offering Russian President Vladimir Putin convenient allies at a critical time.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends an event to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp in Brzezinka, Poland,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Vladimir Putin of being “afraid” to engage in peace talks after his Russian counterpart claimed Kyiv’s government was illegitimate and not worthy to negotiate with.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said that his country could hold peace talks with Ukraine, ruling out speaking directly with President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he described as illegitimate.