Russia, Ukraine continue strikes despite Trump promise to bring swift peace

Trump says Zelenskyy ‘wants bid deal’ and Putin indispensable accept; Moscow says ‘no circumstantial proposals’ from Washington.

Russia and Ukraine person continued to speech barrages of aerial attacks, contempt Donald Trump having said helium would extremity the warfare wrong 24 hours of becoming US president.

While Trump was inaugurated connected Monday afternoon, neither Kyiv nor Moscow person shown signs of de-escalating the drone and rocket strikes they person been launching against 1 different successful caller months. Both launched barrages overnight connected Tuesday.

Russia said it downed 55 Ukrainian drones, much than fractional of which were intercepted implicit regions connected the border.

Kyiv said it struck an lipid depot adjacent the municipality of Liski successful the Voronezh region, sparking a blaze astatine the installation for the 2nd clip successful little than a week.

The region’s governor, Alexander Gusev, said the occurrence was caused by debris from a downed drone and that nary 1 was injured.

Kyiv besides said its forces struck an aviation works producing “combat aircraft” successful the occidental Russian metropolis of Smolensk, creating “explosions”.

Ukraine’s aerial unit claimed it changeable down 93 of 141 drones Russia launched overnight, noting others were “lost” portion 2 returned to Russia.

Russian troops took power of the colony of Vovkove successful eastbound Ukraine’s Donetsk region, TASS, Russia’s state-run quality agency, reported connected Tuesday, citing the Ministry of Defence.

Vovkove is astir 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) southwest of the metropolis of Pokrovsk, a cardinal beforehand successful Moscow’s violative successful eastbound Ukraine. Kyiv has yet to remark connected the Defence Ministry’s claim.

‘No circumstantial proposals’

Trump told reporters connected Monday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had told him helium wanted to marque a bid deal and voiced anticipation that Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin would travel suit.

The recently inaugurated US president said that Putin would beryllium destroying Russia by failing to marque a deal, pointing retired Russia’s economical troubles, including precocious inflation.

The aforesaid day, Putin said Moscow was unfastened to dialog with the Trump medication connected the conflict, emphasising the request to respect Russia’s interests.

Trump has repeatedly said that helium would extremity the warfare “in 24 hours,” yet helium has ne'er provided immoderate details of his plan.

However, his squad has hinted Trump whitethorn fto Russia clasp connected to occupied chunks of Crimea, which Moscow annexed successful 2014, and 4 Ukrainian regions.

The Kremlin’s overseas argumentation advisor Yuri Ushakov said connected Tuesday that Moscow has received “no circumstantial proposals” from Washington concerning a Ukraine settlement.

In the contiguous aftermath of Trump’s inauguration, Putin held a agelong telephone telephone with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The speech connected Tuesday saw the brace corroborate their communal enactment and dedication to securing a multipolar geopolitical environment.

“Russia and China’s associated enactment plays an important stabilising relation successful planetary affairs,” Putin said successful the call.

“Both sides should proceed to deepen strategical coordination, resolutely enactment each other, and safeguard the morganatic interests of some countries,” Xi said according to Chinese authorities broadcaster CCTV.