Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky at a summit in London, UK, March 2, 2025 (Javad Parsa/NTB/Reuters)
EA on Times Radio: Will Trump Break Up With Putin Over Ukraine?
Sunday’s Coverage: After Zelensky Meeting, Trump Lashes Out at Putin — “He’s Just Tapping Me Along”
Map: Institute for the Study of War
UPDATE 1132 GMT:
Vladimir Putin has declared a three-day ceasefire in attacks on Ukraine from May 8 to 11 and called on Kyiv to do the same.
The period is around Victory Day on May 9, when Russia commemorates triumph in World War.
“During this period, all military actions will cease. Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example,” the Kremlin said.
Putin declared a 30-hour ceasefire over the Easter weekend. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces committed nearly 3,000 violations during that time.
UPDATE 0850 GMT:
At least six civilians have been killed and 13 injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day.
Five people were slain and six injured in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Among them were three killed and five wounded in bombing of Kostiantynivka, which damaged 21 houses.
The other fatality was in the Sumy region in the north of the country.
Casualties were also reported in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions.
UPDATE 0846 GMT:
Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has restated the Kremlin’s maximum demands for seizure of Ukrainian territory.
Lavrov told the Brazilian newspaper O Globo, “International recognition of Russia’s ownership of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Luhansk People’s Republic, the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions is imperative.”
Russia seized Crimea in 2014, and Vladimir Putin declared the “annexation” of the other four regions in September 2022. However, Ukrainian forces control parts of Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
Lavrov insisted the ball was “not in our court” over discussions to halt Russia’s 38-month full-scale invasion.
He also called for a ban on Ukraine’s entry into NATO, the country’s demilitarization, and changes to Ukrainian legislation that would restore the position of the Russian language, culture, and religious organizations.
The Foreign Minister demanded the lifting of international sanctions on Moscow, the abolition of international lawsuits and arrest warrants against Russian officials, and the return of frozen Russian assets.
UPDATE 0836 GMT:
The US and South Korea have denounced North Korea’s acknowledgment that it sent troops to aid Russia in the invasion of Ukraine.
Seoul called out the “admission of criminal act” as Vladimir Putin thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for a deployment “guided by the sentiments of solidarity, justice and real camaraderie” (see 0611 GMT).
“With their public admission of the deployment, while claiming they are fully in accordance with international law, they are once again mocking the international community. We strongly condemn this action,” the South Korean Foreign Ministry said.
The dispatch of an estimated 12,000 troops, to help Russia in its Kursk region, undermines the “stability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.”
A US State Department spokesperson said North Korea had “perpetuated the Russia-Ukraine war” and “bears responsibility” for the conflict.
UPDATE 0655 GMT:
Ukrainian drones have targeted an electronics plant in Bryansk in western Russia.
Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz posted about a “massive attack”. Local media reported at least 10 to 15 explosions in Bryansk, with damage to civilian infrastructure, vehicles, and residential buildings.
Without taking responsibility, Andrii Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said the drones targeted the Kremniy-El plant, which specializes in microelectronics for Russia’s military-industrial complex.
The plant produces components for missile systems such as the Topol-M, Bulava, and Iskander; radars, electronic warfare systems; drones; and the onboard electronics of military aircraft.
UPDATE 0634 GMT:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has rejected the Trump Administration’s proposal for US operation of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine.
“No, we never received such an offer and if we do, we will explain that the power station is run by the Russian Federation state corporation called Rosatom,” Lavrov said.
Asked if this took account of the US proposal, part of a package presented to Ukraine and its European partners on April 17, Lavrov responded, “No, I don’t think any change is conceivable.”
UPDATE 0618 GMT:
The pending minerals agreement between the US and Ukraine will not require Kyiv to repay aid from the Biden Administration, says Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Shmyhal led a Ukrainian delegation in technical talks with US officials in Washington from Thursday to Saturday. He met Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to discuss “important political aspects” of the agreement.
The Prime Minister cited “good progress” in negotiations:
The main thing is that we have clearly defined our red lines, the agreement must comply with European obligations and not contradict the Constitution and legislation of Ukraine.
It must be ratified by the Parliament. It has been agreed that the document does not count the assistance provided before its signing.
UPDATE 0611 GMT:
North Korea has confirmed for the first time that it sent troops to fight alongside Russian forces amid the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The ruling Workers’ Party proclaimed the deployment as the “highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship” between North Korea and Russia.
On Saturday, Moscow acknowledged the involvement of Pyongyang’s troops for the first time. Declaring to Vladimir Putin that Russian forces have regained all of the Kursk region in western Russia, commander-in-chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov praised the “fortitude and heroism” of the North Koreans.
This morning Putin thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un: “The Korean friends acted, guided by the sentiments of solidarity, justice and real camaraderie.”
ORIGINAL ENTRY: As Donald Trump wavers in his support of Vladimir Putin’s demands to conquer Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is seeking to “deceive” the US and other countries.
Zelensky spoke on Sunday, a day after he had a 15-minute meeting with Trump in St. Peter’s Basilica on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral at The Vatican. Afterwards, Trump lashed out at Putin: “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along.”
Zelensky followed up yesterday, noting that Russia has repeatedly rejected Ukraine and US plans for ceasefires.
The Russians talk a lot about their alleged readiness to accept American proposals.
Every day of such battles at the front proves absolutely clearly that Russia is really trying to deceive the world — to deceive America and others — and to further drag out this war.
The President explained, “Since March 11, when America proposed a complete and unconditional ceasefire at talks in Saudi Arabia, the Russians have used almost 8,500 aerial bombs, almost 200 missiles of various types, and almost 3,000 Shaheds. The vast majority of them have been on ordinary cities, on civilian targets.”
Trump to Putin: “Sign The Deal”
Speaking with reporters on Sunday, Trump did not note the gulf between the US proposal with the Kremlin’s demand — presented to Kyiv and its European partners in Paris on April 17 — and the Ukraine-Europe counter-proposal less than a week later.
But asked about Putin, Trump replied, “I want him to stop shooting. Sit down and sign the deal. We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it and be done with it.”
A journalist followed up, “Do you trust President Putin?”. Trump said, “I’ll let you know in about two weeks.”
Asked what would happen in that time to make a difference, Trump dodged, “You know they’re losing a lot of people. We have 3,000 [to] 4,000 people dying every week.”
Trump asserted that Zelensky is ready to give up the Crimea peninsula, occupied by Russia since 2014.
He did not explain further. Zelensky — backed by the UK, France, and Germany — said last week that Ukraine cannot accept the US proposal’s demand for legal recognition of Putin’s “annexation” of Crimea.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Sunday that the US proposal is an effective surrender to the Kremlin.
He told the broadcaster ARD that Kyiv knows an end to Russia’s invasion may involve territorial concessions.
But these will certainly not go … as far as they do in the latest proposal from the US President. Ukraine on its own could have got a year ago what was included in that proposal, it is akin to a capitulation. I cannot discern any added value.
Despite any difference over the surrender of territory, Trump expressed newfound admiration for Zelensky. The President “wants to do something good for his country” and “is working hard”, Trump said.
Look, he’s in a tough situation, a very tough situation. He’s fighting a much bigger force, much bigger….
I think he understands the picture, and I think he wants to make a deal.
