At the same time, Ukraine is experiencing an alarming increase in gender-based violence. Second, Moscow has launched its biggest drone and missile assaults in over a month. Over the past few days, a spate of Russian strikes in eastern Ukraine led to the awful deaths of nine civilians. This has unsurprisingly sparked renewed calls for a ceasefire from Ukraine and its European allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed readiness to make “some compromise” regarding his insistence that a ceasefire must precede any talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He stressed the need for providing security guarantees to Ukraine prior to negotiations, not during.
In one of those attacks, Russia used 574 strike drones and 40 missiles in two waves. These missile strikes pressed into the western-most city of Lviv. This unprecedented show of force comes amidst accusations from Moscow that Kyiv is not genuinely interested in achieving a “sustainable, fair, and long-term settlement” to the ongoing conflict. The tide is turning to push for Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations. Yet, as we have discussed in detail, Moscow has displayed no interest in participating in serious dialogue.
Zelensky has been right to call for a “period of calm.” This pause will allow him to craft a serious, holistic plan to bring this war to an end. He stated, “I told President Trump that, in any case, we will need a period of calm to develop the entire plan for ending the war – if we truly want the plan to be serious.” This approach highlights Ukraine’s ultimate objective of achieving a solid stepping stone to negotiations with Russia.
“The Russians carried out this attack as if nothing had changed at all. As if there were no efforts by the world to stop this war,” Zelensky remarked, highlighting the stark disconnect between military actions and diplomatic overtures.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated the Kremlin’s theoretical openness to a meeting between Putin and Zelensky but insisted that “all issues…will be worked out first.” Lavrov warned against any deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine, labeling it “absolutely unacceptable” for Russia and “all sensible political forces in Europe.” This reflects the intense sensitivities that foreign participation in the conflict has understandably raised.
Even with the increasingly warlike posture on Russia’s part, Zelensky continues to push to maintain a strong international front supporting Ukraine. He has stated forthrightly that negotiations can’t go forward without strong security guarantees. Ukraine is currently awaiting a “security guarantees architecture” to be established within seven to ten days before setting a date for talks with the Kremlin.
Not surprisingly, Andy Hunder, the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine shared his concerns. He underscored the damage that Russia’s recent bombardments will have on American companies operating within Ukraine. “Overnight, Russian missiles attacked one of the largest American investments in Ukraine – Flex – an active member of the American Chamber of Commerce,” he stated. Hunder further criticized Russia’s ongoing campaign against U.S. companies, stating, “Russia continues to destroy and humiliate US businesses in Ukraine, targeting companies that invest and trade on the US stock markets.”
The international community continues to closely monitor the situation as diplomatic progress stalls in the wake of this renewed military onslaught. Moscow has signaled no indication that they are prepared to engage in meaningful negotiations. This absence notably increases fears for where the trajectory of this conflict is heading. Zelensky emphasized this sentiment by stating, “A response is needed. There is still no signal from Moscow that they really intend to engage in meaningful negotiations and end this war.”
