Russia and Ukraine trade long-range strikes as peace talks enter 'very critical' week

KYIV – Ukraine and Russia targeted each different with long-range strikes, officials said Monday, amid continuing uncertainty astir whether an statement to halt their more than three-year war is wrong scope astatine the commencement of what America’s apical diplomat called a “very critical” week.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces downed 119 Ukrainian drones overnight, astir of them implicit Russia’s Bryansk borderline region. In Ukraine, aerial raid sirens rang retired crossed the state Monday morning. There were nary contiguous reports of casualties oregon damage.

The result of a push by U.S. President Donald Trump’s medication to swiftly extremity the warring remains unclear, clouded by conflicting claims and doubts astir however acold each broadside mightiness beryllium consenting to compromise amid heavy hostility and mistrust.

The timepiece is ticking connected Washington’s engagement successful efforts to resoluteness Europe’s biggest struggle since World War II that has outgo tens of thousands of lives.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that this week would beryllium “very critical.” The U.S. needs to “make a determination astir whether this is an endeavor that we privation to proceed to beryllium progressive in,” helium said connected NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

American subject assistance has been important for Ukraine’s warfare effort, and further assistance could beryllium astatine hazard if the Trump medication walks distant from attempts to extremity the war.

Trump said astatine the play helium harbors doubts astir Russian President Vladimir Putin’s sincerity successful pursuing a deal, arsenic Russian forces person continued to strike civilian areas of Ukraine with cruise and ballistic missiles portion the talks person proceeded.

But connected Friday, Trump described a brokered colony connected the warfare arsenic “close.”

Western European officials person accused the Kremlin of dragging its feet connected bid talks truthful that Russian forces, which are bigger than Ukraine’s and person battlefield momentum, tin seizure much Ukrainian land.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the warfare successful a telephone telephone with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio connected Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The 2 diplomats focused connected “consolidating the emerging prerequisites for starting negotiations,” the connection said, without offering further details.

Russia has efficaciously rejected a U.S. connection for an contiguous and afloat 30-day halt successful the warring by imposing far-reaching conditions. Ukraine has accepted it, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.

A French diplomatic authoritative said astatine the play that Trump, Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed “to prosecute successful the coming days the enactment of convergence” to get “a coagulated ceasefire.”

The diplomat said a truce is simply a “prior information for a bid dialog that respects the involvement of Ukraine and the Europeans.”

The authoritative was not authorized to beryllium publically named successful accordance with French statesmanlike policy.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has balked astatine the anticipation of surrendering onshore to Russia successful instrumentality for peace, which Washington has indicated could beryllium necessary.

A cardinal constituent of leverage for Ukraine could beryllium a woody with Washington that grants access to Ukraine’s captious mineral wealth.

Ukraine and the United States person made advancement connected a mineral agreement, with some sides agreeing that American assistance provided truthful acold to Kyiv volition not beryllium taken into relationship nether the presumption of the deal, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Sunday.

“We person bully progress,” helium said aft talks with U.S. Treasury Under Secretary Scott Bessent successful Washington.

“The main happening is that we intelligibly defined our reddish lines: The statement indispensable comply with Ukraine’s Constitution, legislation, and European commitments, and indispensable beryllium ratified by Parliament,” Shmyhal said.

The warfare that broke retired aft Russia’s full-scale penetration of its neighbour successful February 2022 has developed a important planetary dimension, further complicating negotiations.

Putin connected Monday thanked North Korea for sending what the U.S. estimates are thousands of troops to assistance decision Ukraine, arsenic good arsenic allegedly supplying artillery ammunition.

Iran has besides helped Russia successful the war, with Shahed drones, and China has sold Russia machinery and microelectronics that Moscow tin usage to marque weapons, Western officials say.

The U.S. and Europe person been Kyiv's biggest backers.

___

Follow AP’s sum of the warfare successful Ukraine astatine https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.