Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Amidst Continued Violence

Former US President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Russia's recent missile strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine, calling them "very bad timing" amid peace negotiations, and told Russian President Vladimir Putin to "STOP!" on his social media platform Truth Social. The strikes killed at least 12 people and injured around 90 others. Trump has been attempting to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, but the talks have stalled, and he has grown impatient with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin.

US President Donald Trump has stated that Russia and Ukraine are close to a deal to end the war, following talks between his envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Trump claimed that "most of the major points are agreed to" and urged the two sides to meet at a high level to finalize the deal. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that "real pressure on Russia is needed" to accept an unconditional ceasefire, and has rejected the idea of recognizing Crimea as part of Russia. Reports suggest that a US peace proposal would have Ukraine giving up large portions of land annexed by Russia, including Crimea, in exchange for a ceasefire, a condition that Zelensky has rejected.

A senior Russian general, Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed in a car bomb explosion near Moscow on Friday. The Investigative Committee launched a murder probe and Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman accused Ukraine's special services of being involved. Moskalik was deputy head of the main operational directorate of the military's General Staff. The attack comes as US President Trump's envoy was set to meet with Russian President Putin to discuss a US-brokered peace plan for Ukraine. The bombing is similar to previous attacks on Russians linked to Moscow's military offensive in Ukraine, for which Kyiv has claimed responsibility in some cases but has not commented on this incident.

A Russian drone attack on an apartment building in southeastern Ukraine killed three people, including a child and a 76-year-old woman, and injured 10 others. The strike occurred a day after President Trump rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin for a deadly missile and drone attack on Kyiv that killed at least 12 people. Trump has been trying to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, but efforts have been stalled, with Russia continuing to launch attacks on Ukrainian cities despite agreeing to negotiations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia is "ready to reach a deal" to end the war in Ukraine, agreeing with former President Donald Trump's assertion that talks were "moving in the right direction." However, Lavrov also indicated that there were "specific points" that needed to be fine-tuned and that Russia would not give up Crimea, which Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed not to recognize as Russian territory. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism about brokering a peace deal, with Rubio saying that "both sides just have to agree to it."

President Trump's patience is being tested by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched airstrikes on Ukraine's capital city, Kyiv, killing 12 people and injuring nearly 100, just ahead of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Moscow. Trump believes a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is "possible" and "very probable," and has no deadline for a deal, but Putin's actions suggest he is not taking Trump's warnings seriously. Trump has accused his predecessor, President Biden, of being partly at fault for the war, and has taken a different approach, trying to entice Russia with trade deals and eliminating sanctions. Experts are skeptical of Trump's approach, warning that it may not be effective in stopping the conflict, and that Putin may not be interested in a deal.

A Russian general, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed in a car bombing outside of Moscow on Friday, according to Russia's top criminal investigation agency. The explosive device was rigged with shrapnel and placed in his Volkswagen Golf car in Balashikha. The Kremlin appears to be blaming Ukraine for the attack, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova describing it as a "terror attack." The attack comes as the Trump administration is trying to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine. This is the second recent killing of a high-ranking Russian military official, following the death of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov in December, which Ukraine's security agency acknowledged was carried out by them.

Donald Trump stated that Russia and Ukraine are close to a peace deal with most major points agreed, and called for high-level officials from both sides to meet to finalize the agreement, saying it would stop the bloodshed and end the war. Trump made the comments after arriving in Rome for Pope Francis's funeral, following a meeting between his envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Trump has been critical of both Ukraine and Russia for failing to agree to a peace deal, and has previously suggested that Ukraine should concede on certain issues, including the status of Crimea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated that recognizing occupied Ukrainian territory as Russian is a red line.

Ukraine's leadership has drafted a counterproposal to a Trump administration peace plan, hinting at possible concessions on long-standing issues. The Ukrainian plan includes no restrictions on its military size, a European security contingent backed by the US, and using frozen Russian assets to repair war damage. While these provisions may be nonstarters for Russia, the plan suggests a search for common ground, omitting demands for Ukraine to regain all seized territory or join NATO. The proposal says Ukraine's NATO accession "depends on consensus among the Alliance's members." Despite some room for concessions between Washington and Kyiv, major obstacles remain, including Russia's refusal to cease hostilities and disagreements over territory. A cease-fire appears elusive, and Russia has refused to abide by previous cease-fire demands. The Ukrainian proposal is intentionally vague on territorial issues, stating they "could be discussed after the full and unconditional cease-fire."

The Kremlin has blamed Ukraine for a car bomb that killed Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, a senior Russian military officer, near Moscow. The killing occurred hours before Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Vladimir Putin in the capital to discuss a US-brokered peace plan for Ukraine. Moskalik was a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces. The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, accused Ukraine of "terrorist activity" without providing evidence. Ukraine has not responded to the killing. The attack is the second fatal bombing of a top Russian military officer in four months, with the previous one in December killing Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, for which Ukraine claimed responsibility.

A senior Russian general, Gen Yaroslav Moskalik, has been killed in a car bomb attack in Moscow. The explosion occurred when an improvised device stuffed with pellets went off in a Volkswagen Golf car parked near his home in the eastern suburb of Balashikha. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed Ukraine for the attack, saying Kyiv "continues its involvement in terrorist activities inside our country". Moskalik had represented Russia's General Staff in talks with Ukraine in Paris in 2015. Ukraine has not commented on the incident.

Russia has returned the body of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who died in detention at age 27 after being captured in occupied eastern Ukraine. Roshchyna, a freelancer for outlets including Ukrainska Pravda and Radio Free Europe, had disappeared in August 2023 and was later reported to be in Russian detention. The circumstances of her arrest and death are unclear, but an investigation found she was held in several locations, including a jail in Russia, and had "knife wounds" on her body. Roshchyna's family requested multiple DNA examinations due to the condition of the body. Her death has been condemned by press freedom groups, who say Russia is responsible for her death and must be pressured to stop targeting journalists.