Russia says talks to end Ukraine war ‘serious’ but rules out concessions

Kremlin spokesperson says talks ongoing arsenic US President Donald Trump pushes for an extremity to the conflict.

Russia says the United States-brokered talks to extremity the warfare with Ukraine are “serious”, but its officials caution that an statement is simply a agelong mode disconnected and Moscow would connection nary large concessions to Kyiv.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said successful televised comments connected Wednesday that the negotiations were ongoing and “the process is serious.”

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US President Donald Trump has enactment guardant a 28-point program – the details of which were leaked past week – and is sending his apical negotiator Steve Witkoff to Moscow successful the coming days arsenic his medication pushes to extremity the astir four-year war.

But Ukraine and its European allies had raised concerns that the US proposal endorsed respective Russian demands, including that Ukraine cede further territory, curb the size of its subject and beryllium barred from joining NATO.

The program has since been modified with the emerging connection reportedly accommodating immoderate of those concerns.

Trump besides aboriginal said advancement was being made and Moscow was making concessions adjacent though the war, which has seen Russian forces advancing successful caller weeks, was going to determination lone “in 1 direction”.

While welcoming the US efforts, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters connected Wednesday that “there tin beryllium nary question of immoderate concessions oregon immoderate surrender of our approaches to those cardinal points.”

Jim Townsend, a elder chap astatine the Center for a New American Security, told Al Jazeera that Russia apt perceives Trump arsenic impatient and unfocused and volition deploy hold tactics to debar concessions.

“This could conscionable beryllium a existent mess. The Russians don’t consciousness immoderate pressure. They deliberation they’re going to triumph if they clasp retired agelong enough,” said Townsend, adding that each of the unit truthful acold has been connected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy said connected Tuesday that helium was acceptable to beforehand the US-backed model for ending the warfare and to sermon disputed points with Trump successful talks that the Ukrainian person said should see European allies.

Speaking astatine the White House the aforesaid day, the US president said resolving the Ukraine warfare was “not easy” but added, “We’re getting adjacent to a deal.”

“I thought that would beryllium an easier [deal], but I deliberation we’re making progress,” helium said.

Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s overseas argumentation chief, said connected Wednesday that determination had been “zero indication” that Russia was prepared for a ceasefire successful Ukraine, however.

Kallas said further sanctions against Moscow were indispensable on with accrued enactment for Kyiv and insisted that immoderate bid statement indispensable see factual concessions from Russia.

“The absorption of immoderate statement indispensable beryllium connected what Russia should do,” she said, adding Europe indispensable guarantee Moscow “will ne'er onslaught again”.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz besides said that portion Europe wants the warfare to extremity arsenic rapidly arsenic possible, “an statement negotiated by large powers without the support of the Ukrainians and without the support of the Europeans won’t beryllium a ground for a real, sustainable peace.”

“Europe is not a plaything but a sovereign histrion for its ain interests and values,” Merz told lawmakers successful Berlin.

Drone attacks continue

Meanwhile, the confederate Ukrainian metropolis of Zaporizhzhia came nether a ample Russian drone onslaught overnight.

The caput of the determination subject administration, Ivan Fedorov, said astatine slightest 19 radical were wounded and much than 50 residential buildings were damaged, including a assemblage dormitory filled with people.

Russian aerial defences, meanwhile, downed 33 Ukrainian drones overnight implicit assorted Russian regions and the Black Sea, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Ukrainian forces struck a manufacturing works successful Cheboksary successful occidental Russia that produces instrumentality and components for cruise and ballistic missiles, Ukraine’s General Staff besides said.