Conversations for ending the war in Ukraine are progressing differently, even oppositely, depending on who reports them. Throughout Friday morning, the Kremlin spokesperson emphasized the issues that Putin raised with Trump regarding details of his peace plan. In his statement, Peskov spoke of "cautious optimism" about the path to peace, or at least a ceasefire.
At noon, Spanish time, the U.S. President wrote on his social network Truth Social that he had had "very good and productive discussions" with Putin and hinted that there were possibilities for the war in Ukraine to "come to an end." An assertion to which Moscow remained silent. Shortly after, from Kiev, Zelensky questioned whether Russia is moving towards peace. The Ukrainian president accused Putin of "sabotaging diplomacy" and denounced that he had set "extremely difficult and unacceptable conditions."
Putin Calls on Ukrainian Army to Surrender in the Russian Region of Kursk
Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Ukrainian soldiers in the Russian region of Kursk on Friday to surrender their weapons after his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, pleaded for clemency for Kiev's military. This was reported by Afp.
The Ukrainian army invaded the Russian region of Kursk in August 2024 with the aim of using it as a bargaining chip in case of negotiations with Moscow.
Donald Trump Spreads Russian Propaganda on the Battlefield While Praising "Good and Productive Discussions" with Moscow
"Ukraine wants its invader to withdraw and a lasting peace. The United States wants peace because it wants the war to end to avoid spending another dollar, and it is becoming clear that it does not care too much about the conditions in which its ally will be left."
Russian Missile Injures Four People in Zelensky's Hometown
A Russian missile hit a residential area in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih in the center of the country on Friday, injuring four people, according to regional governor Serhiy Lysak, who also posted a photo on his Telegram channel showing damage to a building that appeared to house several businesses.
Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city's military administration, warned the population to stay in shelters due to the danger of a repeated attack in the area, a recurring practice by Russia. Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky, has been the target of repeated attacks in the three years of war against Russia. On Wednesday, a Russian missile attack killed one person and caused damage to an infrastructure facility, high-rise apartment blocks, and administrative buildings.
Zelensky Seeks Vatican Support to Release Prisoners and Advance Peace
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, phoned the Vatican's Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, and asked for support to release prisoners in Russia, which would be a first step towards peace. The Ukrainian leader spoke with the cardinal because Pope Francis has been hospitalized for 29 days due to health problems, so he wished him a speedy recovery and thanked him for his "moral support" and efforts for the return of Ukrainian children "deported and illegally displaced to Russia," as explained in X.
The Holy See confirmed that the telephone conversation between Zelensky and the cardinal secretary of state took place on Friday and they discussed the situation of the war and the proposal for a ceasefire after more than three years of conflict. But "especially," according to Vatican sources, the parties discussed the return to Ukraine of children deported in Russia, on which pontifical diplomacy has shown great interest in recent years.
Germany Also Criticizes Putin's "Delaying Tactics" on a Ceasefire in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin's response to the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the conflict in Ukraine is "at best" a "delaying tactic," the German Foreign Ministry declared on Friday. Berlin's diplomacy doubts the "serious interest of the Russian president in working for a lasting ceasefire," said government spokesperson Kathrin Deschauer at a government press conference. On Thursday, Vladimir Putin expressed support for a ceasefire as long as certain "important issues" are resolved.
At the end of the G7 meeting in Charlevoix (Canada), the German foreign minister criticized the Russian president's response to the ceasefire proposal. "Putin leaves the door ajar for peace negotiations, but he has never been willing to cross it," Annalena Baerbock told reporters.
Macron Boosts Arms Production
Emmanuel Macron convened major defense firms in France on Friday to boost arms production as the culmination of a week marked by a meeting of more than 30 European Chiefs of Staff in Paris. The French president urged Putin to accept the ceasefire in Ukraine and to stop with "delaying statements," on the eve of a video conference summit of European leaders convened on Saturday by Prime Minister Keir Starmer