The prospects for an end to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict remain distant, amidst airstrikes that Moscow blames for hindering peace negotiations. Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “playing with fire.”
In a recent post on his platform, Trump criticized Putin again for the stalled peace efforts in Ukraine, asserting, “What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for my intervention, things would have gone very poorly for Russia. He is playing with fire!”
Accusations
In a related development, Moscow accused Kyiv of escalating airstrikes to undermine peace talks, claiming that the recent attacks were retaliatory in nature. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that Ukraine, supported by certain European nations, had engaged in provocative actions to thwart negotiations, highlighting an increase in drone and missile attacks targeting civilian infrastructure in Russia. The ministry explained that these attacks were responses to Ukraine’s use of drones that resulted in civilian casualties in Russia.
Later, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov asserted that Ukraine’s actions contradict any desire for peace, adding that the military support from European countries for Ukraine does not assist in reaching a peaceful settlement.
Peskov also remarked that media reports indicating potential new sanctions by the US against Russia are part of a campaign to obstruct peace discussions regarding Ukraine. Furthermore, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova mentioned that Moscow is continuing efforts to draft a memorandum outlining the principles for any future peace agreement to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russia expressed its support for Turkey to host another round of peace talks with Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, following discussions with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Moscow, stated, “We are grateful to Turkey for its willingness to continue assisting in such negotiations to achieve a peaceful resolution.” A source from the Turkish Foreign Ministry revealed that President Putin and Fidan discussed efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Criticism
Lavrov described German Advisor Friedrich Merz’s comments regarding Ukraine’s long-range strikes within Russian territory using European weapons as indicative of a decision made long ago that allows for such attacks. He noted that these remarks reflect the caliber of individuals who have come to power in leading European countries and implied that a decision to permit long-range strikes against Russia had previously been made but kept under wraps. In response to Trump’s statements about Russia, Lavrov commented that Putin was disappointed to see his efforts for peace in Ukraine being undermined by European politicians.
No De-escalation
Advisor Merz defended the decision to lift restrictions on the extent of arms use by Germany in Ukraine. After meeting with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Merz stated, “Only those who can attack the military bases in the territory of the aggressor can defend themselves.” He also mentioned that he doesn’t expect an imminent de-escalation in the war in Ukraine.
Additionally, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda called for stronger European sanctions against Moscow. Speaking on Lithuanian television, Nausėda remarked, “Putin is turning the whole world against him and indeed deserves stricter sanctions than those currently imposed. I hope our colleagues in the European Union understand that the 17th package of sanctions was just a warm-up. We need to prepare the 18th package of sanctions, equivalent to a Molotov cocktail.”
Field Developments
On the ground, the governor of Ukraine’s Sumy region, near the Russian border, reported that Russian forces have taken control of four villages in a bid to create a buffer zone within Ukrainian territory. Oleh Hryhorov, the governor, posted on social media a list of the four villages—Novynky, Pasivka, Vyselivka, and Zhuravka—that are now under Russian control, stating that their residents had long been evacuated. Additionally, the Ukrainian Air Force announced that air defense systems shot down 43 out of 60 drones launched by Russia over Ukrainian territory overnight. The statement indicated that the Russian forces conducted nighttime attacks using 60 drones launched from various Russian regions.
In a related statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that its air defense systems destroyed 99 Ukrainian drones over several regions during the previous night. The statement detailed the destruction of 56 drones in Belgorod, 25 in Voronezh, 7 in Vladimir, 5 in Kaluga, 4 in Tula, and one drone each in Rostov and Lipetsk regions.