- Ukraine and Russia set conditions for negotiations, hindering progress.
- No plans for escalation on Ukrainian front for now, Putin says.
- Moscow defends arrest of critical voices, claims internal harm to Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated a willingness to engage in peace negotiations concerning Ukraine, citing the potential relevance of African and Chinese initiatives as a foundation for resolving the conflict. Nonetheless, he underscored the challenges in implementing a ceasefire while the Ukrainian army continues its offensive. Both countries have previously established conditions for talks, with Kyiv refusing to yield any territory and Moscow insisting that Kyiv must accept the post-invasion territorial changes.
During a press conference after meeting with African leaders in St. Petersburg, Putin clarified that there are no immediate plans to escalate actions on the Ukrainian front. He defended the Kremlin’s arrest of dissenting voices, arguing that some individuals were causing internal harm to Russia. The briefing also addressed Moscow’s “preventive strikes” following an explosion on a Crimean bridge, which Putin asserted was a “terrorist” act by Ukraine. However, Kyiv did not officially claim responsibility for the bridge blast.
Amidst these developments, an African contingent had previously met with both Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin. In Ukraine, a rocket attack in the city of Sumy resulted in one person killed and five injured, while another missile hit an open area in Zaporizhzhia, causing two fatalities and injuring one person. Russia reported that two office blocks were damaged in a drone attack on Moscow, for which the city’s mayor blamed Ukraine.
During this time, President Zelensky visited Ukrainian special forces near Bakhmut, an eastern city where intense fighting has taken place. Ukrainian authorities stated that Kyiv’s troops are gradually advancing in the region, which was seized by Russian forces in May.
