A resident runs for shelter amid Russian attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine (Sergei Supinsky)

EA-Times Radio VideoCast: Russia’s “Great Failure” in Ukraine Leaves Putin Playing For Time

Monday’s Coverage: Kyiv — No “Reliable Alternative” Beyond Spring if EU’s €90 Billion Loan Is Blocked

UPDATE 2131 GMT:

In his meetings in London, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has focused on joint initiatives for weapons production and air defense:

UPDATE 1549 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is in London on Tuesday:

UPDATE 1127 GMT:

Ukraine has received the full set of conditions required for its accession to the European Union.

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said Ukraine’s delegation in Brussels received benchmarks for the final three negotiation clusters: “Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth”; “Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity”; and “Resources, Agriculture, and Cohesion Policy”.

Svyrydenko said the government will continue implementing reforms required for accession and will report progress to Brussels.

President Volodymyr Zelensky is hoping for accession in 2027.

UPDATE 1044 GMT:

At least 11 civilians have been murdered and 55 injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day.

Air defenses intercepted 154 of 178 drones, but at least 22 struck 12 locations.

In the Donetsk region in the east, five people were killed and six injured.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region in south-central Ukraine, two civilians were murdered and 10 injured.

In the Sumy region in the northeast, two men wre slain and nine people injured.

In the Zaporizhzhia region in the south, one person was killed and ten injured.

In the neighboring Kherson region, one civilian was murdered and nine injured, including a child, amid attacks on 39 settlements.

Casualties were also recorded in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Amid an indefinite suspension of Ukraine-Russia-US talks to end Moscow’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized, “The Russians are not preparing for peace.”

Zelensky confirmed over the weekend that the fourth round of talks has been postponed. He said the Trump camp will not allow negotiators to leave the US because of the US-Israel War on Iran. However, Russia has objected to any talks in the US and proposed alternative sites in Switzerland or Turkey.

The Russians fired 68 missiles and around 400 drones early Sunday. They launched 211 drones early Monday, killing three civilians.

In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky said:

We must ensure complete protection – and that is exactly what we are doing. Meanwhile, we are not postponing negotiations; no one is disappointed in diplomacy. This is not a matter of emotions, as some might say. It is a matter of what partners are ready for.

Russia operates in a very simple way: if they are afraid, they’re willing to toe the line. If pressure on Russia is weakened, Russia thinks it has struck gold and can continue the war. That is why pressure on the aggressor is the key to peace, real diplomacy, and real agreements.

The President said he had given new instructions to Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s lead negotiator, who is “in constant communication with the American side, 24/7”.