Volodymyr Zelensky has given a cautious and diplomatic response to Vladimir Putin’s late-night provide of direct talks in Istanbul subsequent Thursday.
The Ukrainian chief might need been anticipated to slam his reverse quantity in Moscow for not committing to a 30-day ceasefire, as demanded by Kyiv and its Western allies on Saturday.
As a substitute, writing on X, Zelensky known as it “a constructive signal that the Russians have lastly begun to contemplate ending the warfare”.
Zelensky added that Ukraine anticipated Russia to substantiate it could abide by the proposed 30-day ceasefire, beginning on Monday.
It is onerous to inform if Zelensky actually sees Putin’s provide of direct talks as a “constructive signal”. That is as a lot about optics as anything.
Neither Putin nor Zelensky need to be seen by US President Donald Trump because the impediment to peace.
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Trump’s response was markedly upbeat. Writing on his Reality Social platform earlier, he hinted as soon as once more that this warfare was near ending. He wrote: “A probably nice day for Russia and Ukraine!”
Putin mentioned he needs to deal with what he calls “the basis causes of the battle”.
From his perspective, which means Ukraine’s unacceptable ambition to be a part of a affluent, democratic Europe slightly than returning to Moscow’s orbit and grow to be a pliant, satellite tv for pc nation like Belarus.
He will even desire a agency enterprise that Ukraine won’t ever be part of Nato.
Moscow demanded on Saturday that, earlier than any ceasefire can begin, the West should cease arming Ukraine.
That in fact would go away this nation that a lot much less capable of fend off Russia’s gradual advances on the frontline – or, worse, a brand new full-scale offensive to take extra land.
What Ukraine badly wants from its allies is an uninterrupted movement of air defences to fend off the ever-growing numbers of drones and missiles being fired throughout the frequent border at Kyiv and different main cities.
Shortly after daybreak on Sunday, we had been woken by an air raid alert and sirens went off as extra Russian drones had been launched.
On 9 Might, the US Embassy in Kyiv issued a warning to its residents that there was “a major threat of air raids within the coming days”.
One of many greatest considerations is that the Kremlin could launch one other Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile just like the one its forces fired at a manufacturing facility in Dnipro final November.
With its velocity approaching 10 instances the velocity of sound, Russia boasts that this missile is “unstoppable”.
So now the important thing query is what Trump does subsequent – and this might go both means.
He may resolve that his reverse quantity in Moscow is solely stringing him alongside, discovering one excuse after one other to not conform to a ceasefire.
Or, given his historic heat relations with Putin, will he throw the Russian chief a diplomatic lifeline and put stress on Ukraine as a substitute to sit down down in Istanbul and take heed to Moscow’s calls for, regardless of whether or not there’s a ceasefire come Monday?
