Ukraine peace talks stall as Russia unleashes huge waves of attacks

Negotiations neglect to output progress, portion Moscow launches implicit 700 drones and missiles crossed Ukrainian territory

Three days of negotiations betwixt Ukrainian and United States officials person ended without a breakthrough, arsenic Russia launched 1 of its largest aerial assaults of the warfare connected Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

The talks successful Florida concluded connected Saturday, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy describing a telephone telephone with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arsenic “substantive”, though some sides acknowledged that meaningful advancement hinged wholly connected Moscow’s willingness to prosecute genuine peace.

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The impasse underscores the gulf betwixt diplomatic efforts and the grinding world connected the ground, wherever Russian forces proceed advancing successful eastbound Ukraine.

Russia deployed 653 drones and 51 missiles successful the overnight barrage that began connected Friday, striking vigor facilities and captious infrastructure crossed the country, Ukrainian officials said.

At slightest 8 radical were wounded successful the attacks, which Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko confirmed deed 29 abstracted locations.

The battle temporarily severed powerfulness to the Zaporizhzhia atomic plant, raising caller concerns astir reactor safety.

The facility, which has been nether Russian concern since aboriginal successful Moscow’s invasion, requires continuous energy to chill its six shutdown reactors and forestall catastrophic failure, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“Energy facilities were the main targets,” Zelenskyy said of the latest assault, noting that 1 drone onslaught destroyed a railway presumption successful Fastiv, adjacent Kyiv. Ukrainian aerial defences intercepted 585 drones and 30 missiles, the aerial unit reported.

Moscow claimed its strikes targeted “military-industrial analyzable enterprises and the vigor facilities that enactment them”, asserting that each designated targets were hit.

The diplomatic propulsion comes arsenic battlefield dynamics progressively favour Russia.

Moscow’s forces are closing successful connected Pokrovsk, a erstwhile logistics hub successful Ukraine’s Donetsk region, and person astir surrounded the neighbouring metropolis of Myrnohrad.

Russian troops captured astir 505 sq km (195 sq miles) successful November alone, astir treble October’s territorial gains.

Russia present controls astir the entirety of the neighbouring Luhansk portion and holds the bulk of coastal territories stretching to Kherson. The beforehand lines person mostly stabilised on these positions, though Moscow continues to marque incremental advances.

French President Emmanuel Macron volition conscionable Zelenskyy alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz successful London connected Monday to measure the US-mediated negotiations.

Macron condemned Russia’s “escalatory path” and insisted that “we indispensable proceed to enactment unit connected Russia to unit it to marque peace”.

The talks successful Miami followed a Tuesday gathering betwixt Witkoff, Kushner and Russian President Vladimir Putin successful Moscow, which failed to nutrient an agreement.

A associated connection released connected Friday acknowledged that “real advancement towards immoderate agreement” depends connected Russia demonstrating “serious committedness to semipermanent peace, including steps towards de-escalation”.

Adding different furniture of complexity, the International Criminal Court’s lawman authoritative said connected Friday that the apprehension warrant for Putin implicit alleged warfare crimes successful Ukraine cannot beryllium halted by bid negotiations.

The warrant could lone beryllium temporarily deferred by United Nations Security Council action, authoritative Nazhat Shameem Khan told reporters, emphasising that “there indispensable beryllium the anticipation of accountability successful bid for bid to beryllium enduring”.

Putin has signalled helium volition not soften his territorial demands, ordering Russian forces to hole for continued wintertime combat operations.