Russia declared on Tuesday that it will “radically” curtail its assaults between Kyiv and Chernihiv as a good-will gesture amid peace negotiations — but opponents said the move was simply a retreat following Kremlin setbacks.
“Given that the negotiations on preparing an agreement on Ukraine’s neutrality and non-nuclear status have moved into a practical arena… a decision has been taken to substantially limit military operations in the districts of Kyiv and Chernihiv,” stated Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.
He went on to say that the commitment was intended to “build confidence” in talks aimed at putting a stop to the violence, as negotiators convened again after many failed rounds of talks.
However, several military observers saw the action as a largely meaningless gesture, considering that Russia has yet to conquer the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, which it was allegedly expecting to accomplish quickly after invading its eastern neighbour in late February.
Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin’s soldiers have also struggled to make inroads in many other areas, prompting the Kremlin to contemplate confining its assault to the Donbas region in the east, where Kremlin-backed rebels have been battling Ukraine since 2014.
“Does ‘we’ll dramatically limit military activities near Kyiv’ mean ‘we’re getting kicked in the shins and switching to a hurried defence?'” On Tuesday, retired US Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, a former commander of American forces in Europe, tweeted his support.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced reservations about Russia’s stated commitment to the peace process.
“There is what Russia says and what Russia does.” “We’re focusing on the latter,” Blinken said at a news conference, adding that the US had yet to see any “evidence of genuine sincerity” from Russia.
He said that Russia’s claim to be lowering hostilities surrounding the Ukrainian capital might simply be “a way for Russia to divert and fool people into thinking it’s not doing what it is doing.”
The newest session of peace negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey, this week began with a “cold greeting” and no handshake – while Russian missiles continued to pound multiple Ukrainian cities.
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was spotted at the negotiations, a day after it was revealed that he had been poisoned while acting as a go-between during previous mediations.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the poisoning was carried out by Kremlin hardliners opposed to any diplomatic settlement with Ukraine.
After a meeting in Kyiv earlier this month, Abramovich, the billionaire owner of UK Club World Cup soccer champions Chelsea, was apparently poisoned along with numerous Ukrainian delegates, who all had peeling skin on their cheeks and hands, continuous and painful weeping, and red eyes.
The Kremlin admitted that Putin’s old pal is acting as an unofficial mediator.
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, stated that Abramovich has been “ensuring some interactions between the Russian and Ukrainian sides,” and that his activity has been accepted by both governments.
Peskov disputed the alleged poisoning, claiming that the charges were part of a “information war.”
Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey’s foreign minister, stated Tuesday that Ukraine and Russia had achieved “the most important breakthrough” in terms of prospective peace.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned both parties that it was their “historic obligation” to put an end to the fighting.
“We think that in a just peace, there will be no losers.” “It is not in anyone’s interest to prolong the war,” Erdogan remarked as he received the two groups.
Meanwhile, air-raid sirens sounded across Ukraine before dawn, and a missile targeted an oil storage in the western Rivne region overnight, the second strike on oil infrastructure in an area that had escaped the brunt of the conflict.
An explosion also struck a Mykolaiv administration facility on Tuesday morning, tearing a large crater in the nine-story structure. Regional Gov. Vitaliy Kim said the majority of people left the building and that rescuers were looking for a few unaccounted persons.
“It’s dreadful. He said that the attackers “waited for people to arrive at work” before hitting the building. “I slept in. “I’m fortunate.”
Meanwhile, air-raid sirens sounded across Ukraine before dawn, and a missile targeted an oil storage in the western Rivne region overnight, the second strike on oil infrastructure in an area that had escaped the brunt of the conflict.
An explosion also struck a Mykolaiv administration facility on Tuesday morning, tearing a large crater in the nine-story structure. Regional Gov. Vitaliy Kim said the majority of people left the building and that rescuers were looking for a few unaccounted persons.
“It’s dreadful. He said that the attackers “waited for people to arrive at work” before hitting the building. “I slept in. “I’m fortunate.”
Ukraine’s military stated it had noticed Russian withdrawals near Kyiv and Chernihiv, but the Pentagon said it couldn’t confirm the information. In recent days, Ukrainian forces stated they had achieved achievements in fighting Russian soldiers in the Kyiv suburbs, retaking the city of Irpin as well as villages in the country’s northeast.
Ukrainian negotiators claimed they had suggested a position in which the nation would not join alliances or host foreign forces, but would have its security guaranteed by several other countries in terms akin to NATO’s collective-defense provision, “Article 5.” The clause states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
