Russian Drones Attack Ukraine After Kremlin Turns Down A Ceasefire Proposal

The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched over 100 Shahed and decoy drones in nighttime attacks against Ukraine, following the Kremlin’s rejection of a 30-day ceasefire in the ongoing 3-year war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to face-to-face peace talks in Turkey this week, but there has been no response from the Kremlin. The United States and European governments are making efforts to stop the conflict, which has resulted in numerous casualties on both sides. Diplomatic developments over the weekend saw Russia refusing the ceasefire proposal from the U.S. and Europe, instead offering direct talks with Ukraine on Thursday. Despite Ukraine and European allies’ demand for a ceasefire before negotiations, Russia insisted on direct talks in Istanbul. President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to accept the Russian offer, while Zelenskyy upped the pressure on Putin by proposing a personal meeting between the leaders. Zelenskyy had previously sought a meeting with Putin in 2022, but was turned down, leading to a decree declaring negotiations with Putin impossible.

Putin and Zelenskyy have only met once, in 2019. Trump attributed the difficulty in advancing peace efforts to the “deep hatred” between the sides.

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