The war in Ukraine saw another dramatic escalation after Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 157 drones and seven missiles overnight. Soon after, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared it would be “practically impossible” to reach a peace deal with Kyiv, casting fresh doubt on any talks between him and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Speaking at an economic forum in Russia’s Far East, Putin said he was willing to meet Zelensky but questioned the value of such talks. He argued that even with political will, “legal and technical difficulties” make agreements impossible. While he repeated his offer to host negotiations in Moscow, Zelensky has already rejected that proposal.
The remarks follow comments from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who also dismissed the idea of talks, saying no agenda has been prepared.
Meanwhile, tensions with the West are rising. Putin warned that any Western peacekeeping forces deployed in Ukraine would be treated as “legitimate targets”. This was in direct response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement that 26 allied nations had pledged to support Ukraine’s security after a potential ceasefire.
According to U.S. officials, during his summit with Donald Trump in Alaska, Putin signaled that Russia might consider Western security guarantees for Ukraine but only if Kyiv gives up the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the Donbas. Zelensky, however, has made it clear that only direct talks with Putin can address territorial concessions, firmly rejecting outside pressure on Ukraine’s sovereignty.
With Russia’s drone and missile attacks intensifying, and Moscow dismissing Western-led peace efforts, the prospects for negotiations remain uncertain.
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