Russia and Ukraine trade blame for fighting amid truce
A US-brokered ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is set to end with both sides accusing each other of violating the 72-hour regulation, as American and European officials consider how to steer the warring countries into further talks.
Russian drones, bombs and artillery shelling hit civilian areas in northeastern Kharkiv and southern Kherson regions, killing at least two people and wounding seven others, Ukrainian officials said.
Russia’s defense ministry accused Kiev on Sunday of more than 1,000 ceasefire violations, state media reported.
Similar ceasefires declared since Russia invaded its neighbor more than four years ago have also failed to stop the fighting, and U.S.-led diplomatic efforts last year have foundered.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War stated that data obtained from NASA observations showed that military activities decreased, but did not stop after Trump announced on Friday that he accepted the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy for a ceasefire that will last from Saturday to Monday.
The purpose of the movement was to celebrate Russia’s Victory Day, which celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany.
The ISW said late Sunday that ceasefires “are unlikely to last without clear implementation mechanisms, reliable monitoring and defined dispute resolution processes.”
Trump also said that a prisoner exchange would take place and announced that the break in hostilities could be the “beginning of the end” of the war.
Zelenskiy said that the exchange of 1000 prisoners from both sides was being prepared.
But there is no sign that either side is ready to give up its key positions in the negotiations.
Putin wants the entire Donbas region, which is the industrial center of Ukraine, even though his army has not completely captured it, but Zelenskiy will not surrender.
While Zelenskiy offered Putin a ceasefire and face-to-face talks, the Russian leader refused until a negotiated agreement was almost certain.
Putin suggested over the weekend that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who has close business ties with Russia, could act as a mediator.
But German and European officials have ruled out the possibility, even while acknowledging that the European Union could take a more significant role in peace efforts that have been largely ignored by Washington over the past year.
Still, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc needed to clearly define its goals before starting negotiations with the Kremlin.
“Before we meet with Russia, we should discuss among ourselves what we want to talk about with them,” he told reporters in Brussels.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with EU foreign ministers for the Brussels meeting.
“We have mainstream US-led peace talks and we need that path, we also need US leadership. But Europe can also play its part,” Sybiha said. he said.
He noted that Ukraine had improved its performance on the battlefield in recent months, reducing the larger Russian army to a slow and costly effort along the 1,250km front line and using domestically developed long-range drones and missiles to hit targets deep inside Russia.
“We have a new reality on the battlefield… Ukraine has become stronger after the harshest winter,” Sybiha said. he said.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius became the latest senior European official to visit Kiev, making an unannounced visit on Monday to focus on boosting defense cooperation between the two countries.
