Vladimir Putin’s senior economic advisor Kirill Dmitriev with Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, St. Petersburg, Russia, April 11, 2025

EA-War and Politics 24 VideoCast: The Kremlin’s Window to “Break” Ukraine

Tuesday’s Coverage: On Eve of Talks, Russia Renews Massive Strikes on Kyiv

UPDATE 1233 GMT:

Tension in the Russian press this morning — while proclaiming that the Kremlin will pursue Ukraine’s capitulation, the newspapers fret about the economic situation.

UPDATE 1205 GMT:

“Informed European officials” say the Trump Administration has prepared new sanctions against Russia but is in no rush to impose them.

The officials said skepticism about prospects for the Ukraine-Russia-US talks is growing in Europe, given Moscow’s escalation of airstrikes on energy infrastructure and other civilian sites.

UPDATE 1027 GMT:

The latest Russian strikes have cut electricity to consumers in six Ukrainian regions.

National power grid operator Ukrenergo posted:

At night, the enemy attacked energy infrastructure in several regions. As a result, as of the morning there are de-energized consumers in Sumy, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Emergency restoration work is already underway wherever security conditions allow.

Russian forces also targeted the Odesa region in southern Ukraine.

Governor Oleh Kiper posted about “a massive attack with strike drones” on civilian, residential, and industrial infrastructure.

In Odesa city of Odesa, about 20 residential buildings and cars were damaged. One person was injured as four were rescued from rubble.

On Tuesday, Donald Trump falsely said Vladimir Putin “had kept his word” for a week-long halt to attacks as he praised the Russian leader (see Original Entry).

UPDATE 1120 GMT:

Two 18-year-olds were murdered and at least 20 other people injured, including four children, by a Russian drone strike on Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine on Tuesday evening.

The attack damaged a multi-story residential building, shops, and cars around 6 p.m.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: The second round of Ukraine-Russia-US talks begins on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.

The delegations are expected to discuss proposals to end Russia’s 47 1/2-month full scale invasion. However, the Kremlin is continuing to refuse a ceasefire without its seizure of more Ukranian territory and the rest of the country kept permanently weak wth no significant security guarantees.

Ukraine and Europe have pushed back against a Russian ultimatum, crafted in late October with Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, for Kyiv to give up the rest of the strategic Donetsk region in the east of the country.

Ukraine-Europe counterproposals, accepted by Washington, include significant security guarantees with US involvement in the event of a future Russian invasion. Ukraine and Europe propose that the free part of Donetsk be maintained as a demilitarized economic zone.

However, there is concern that real estate developer Witkoff, manipulated by the Russians since last spring, will again take the side of the Kremlin. Multiple officials have said the Trump Administration is demanding the handover of Donetsk to Russia in return for any security guarantees to Kyiv.

Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Kushner conferred with Vladimir Putin’s top advisor Kirill Dmitriev, with whom they crafted last October’s ultimatum, in Miami on Saturday.

Russia’s Latest Strikes

On Tuesday, Russia launched 71 missiles and more than 450 drones on Kyiv and six other Ukrainian regions.

At Donald Trump’s request, the Kremlin had ceased fire on energy infrastrcuture for three days, instead concentrating their attacks on logistics such as railways. But yesterday they damaged thermal power plants.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky posted:

This speaks volumes about Russia’s promises. If their word doesn’t hold even now, what can be expected next. They’re incorrigible in Moscow — trying to take advantage of the cold, because they cannot subdue Ukraine through assaults. Russia’s bet on war must receive a response.

He called for progress on US legislation toughening sanctions on Russia, as well as European measures against Moscow’s “shadow fleet” trying to evade restrictions on oil shipments.

Trump responded by accepting the assault, falsely declaring Moscow had observed a week-long ceasefire, and praising Putin:

[The pause] was for Sunday to Sunday. It opened up and [Putin[ hit them hard….He kept his word on that. One week is a lot — we will take anything.