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The United States recently proposed a halt in the fighting after talks in Saudi Arabia, with Ukraine accepting the offer. However, President Putin has yet to provide a clear response, instead listing conditions and raising concerns about the proposal.
Trump’s envoy for the conflict, Steve Witkoff, who recently met with Putin, expressed optimism about the upcoming discussion between the two leaders. He suggested that the conversation would be "good and positive" for the conflict resolution.
The Moscow government reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, discussing concrete steps for implementation based on a previous US-Russia summit in Saudi Arabia. The two officials agreed to remain in contact, but no direct mention of the ceasefire was made.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of not wanting to end the war, stating that Moscow aims to improve its position on the battlefield before agreeing to any ceasefire.
Despite the calls for peace, Russia launched 90 Iranian-made Shahed drones onto nine Ukrainian regions. Zelensky further criticized Putin, accusing him of “lying” about the ceasefire’s complexity and working against Trump’s potential peace efforts.
Putin has raised doubts about the proposed ceasefire, arguing that it would benefit Ukraine more than Russia, especially given the current Russian momentum in various regions of Ukraine. As diplomatic talks unfold, the situation on the ground remains volatile, with casualties continuing to mount.
In the latest escalation, Ukraine reported that a Russian drone strike in the city of Izyum killed one person. The city had previously fallen to Russia but was retaken by Ukrainian forces.