Kyiv's Broken Glass: A War's Pain 💔 🇺🇦

World News

Ukraine is seeking a meeting this week between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former President Donald Trump in the United States, aiming for a visit “at the earliest suitable date in November,” as ongoing diplomatic efforts continue to pursue an end to the war. Simultaneously, the United States has confirmed that its officials will be meeting with Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi to further discuss the peace plan. Overnight, Russia and Ukraine exchanged air attacks, with Ukrainian officials reporting at least six fatalities resulting from Russian strikes on Kyiv, and Russian officials reporting three deaths following a Ukrainian strike in the Rostov region. Ukraine’s security chief, Rustem Umerov, stated the country is “looking forward” to organizing President Zelenskyy’s visit to the US. A Kremlin official dismissed the proposed amendments to the 28-point US peace plan as “completely unconstructive.” However, a US official indicated that a team would be meeting Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi. Following a Sunday meeting in Geneva between US and Ukrainian officials to discuss the draft plan—which had been criticized by leaders in Kyiv and Europe as overly favorable to Russia—Ukrainian allies produced an amended version, rejecting elements that leaned towards Russian interests.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Monday that proposed changes to the 28-point US peace plan now “become doable,” incorporating “many correct elements” into the framework. Following a Sunday meeting in Geneva between US and Ukrainian officials, the draft plan—which had drawn criticism from leaders in Kyiv and across Europe for being overly sympathetic to Russia—saw welcomed revisions. The meeting occurred amidst reports of damage to the upper floors of a building in Kyiv, though the fire had been extinguished. Simultaneously, Ukraine’s air defense units responded to a widespread “massive, combined enemy attack” across the country, with explosions heard throughout Kyiv and residents being advised to seek shelter in underground car parks and bunkers. Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy confirmed the attack, noting that 22 missiles and over 460 drones were launched overnight. NATO scrambled four aircraft over Romania—the third time in four days the alliance has deployed planes to intercept drones in Ukraine’s border region. Additionally, six Russian drones were detected in Moldova. In Russia’s Rostov region, the death toll from a Ukrainian strike rose to three, following an initial report of one fatality; according to the region’s acting governor, Yuri Sliusar, two died in hospital, and another 10 people were injured. Mayor Svetlana Kambulova of Taganrog vowed “necessary response measures.”

The strikes continued across the southern Krasnodar region, with Governor Veniamin Kondratyev characterizing Ukraine’s overnight bombardment as “one of the Kyiv regime’s most sustained and massive attacks.” The proposed peace plan, drafted last month by US and Russian officials, had generated significant concern in Ukraine and among its European allies, who argued it was overly favorable to the Kremlin. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected assertions that the Trump administration was not engaging with both sides equally in the conflict, stating, “Don’t believe it until you see it,” following Trump’s cautious assessment that “something good just may be happening.” Following talks in Geneva between the US and Ukraine, Trump suggested a positive development but urged caution. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelensky emphasized the “main problem” remained Russia’s demand for the legal recognition of the territories it had seized. Counter-proposals, reportedly developed by the UK, France, and Germany, excluded recognition of Russian-held regions, increased Ukraine’s permitted army size, and maintained the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO. Russia has consistently demanded the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the entirety of the eastern Donbas region – encompassing the Donetsk and Luhansk regions – and also controls Crimea and substantial portions of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that the final peace plan should preclude future Russian invasions and that Russia “definitely not” should be readmitted to the G8.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed or injured, and millions of people have been displaced from their homes. Recent amendments to a proposed peace plan suggest that Ukraine may eventually accept a deal. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has involved attacks using drones.