Kyiv (TDI): The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has said that a ceasefire with Russia is possible any moment now.
The remarks came during President Zelenskyy’s joint news conference in Prague alongside the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel. The Ukrainian President also stated that he hopes to receive 1.8 million shells in 2025 as part of the Czech’s initiative to provide military assistance to Ukraine.
Earlier, the US President, Donald Trump, talking to reporters at the White House, said that he and his team had “some good discussions about Russia and Ukraine in recent days.”
When asked whether he plans to meet the Russian President in Saudi Arabia in coming weeks, Trump said he had not thought about this but “we’ve had some very good discussions” about Russia and Ukraine.
Europe to Cut all Energy Ties with Russia
The European countries have also been pushing Russia to come to the negotiation table as soon as possible. The European Union has recently announced that it will unveil a roadmap, on Tuesday, to phase out the EU’s remaining gas ties with Moscow. However, in the absence of sanctions, it would be challenging for the European buyers to exit from the current gas contracts using force majeure as a legal option.
The decision to cut all energy ties with Russia came at a time when the United States has been pushing both Russia and Ukraine towards a peace deal, which if reached, would not only ease sanctions on Russia but also reopen doors for the Russian energy back into Europe.
As of now, around 19% of Europe’s gas requirements are being fulfilled by Russia through TurkStream pipeline and LNG shipments. This is despite the fact that Europe has a non-binding goal to end reliance on Russian fossil fuel by 2027.
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The Lawyers and legal experts have stated that it would be difficult for the European companies to break their legal energy contracts with Russia without facing penalties. To declare force majeure, a supplier has to breach the contract, but the remaining Russian supplies had been working well over three years of war.
Russia Says It Will Achieve Its Aim in Ukraine
Russian President, Vladimir Putin, earlier commented that Russia has sufficient resources to bring war with Ukraine to its logical end and hoped that there won’t be a need to use nuclear weapons.
The threatening remarks came at a time when both the United States and Ukraine have been eager to achieve a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.
In a documentary film titled “Russia, Kremlin, Putin, 25 years,” reporters asked the Russian President about the risks of a nuclear escalation, to which he replied, “They wanted to provoke us so that we made mistakes… There has been no need to use those weapons… and I hope they will not be required.”
The Attacks Continue
Both Russia and Ukraine targeted each other’s infrastructure despite the ongoing negotiations. On Sunday, a Russian drone attacked Ukraine’s capital injuring at least 11 people, including two children.
On the other hand, Moscow reported that it had intercepted four Ukrainian drones flying towards Russia’s capital, Moscow.
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Moreover, the Russian defense ministry stated that it intercepted a total of 26 drones flying towards Russian territory on Sunday.
It is important to note that President Putin, last week, declared that Russia will have a three-day ceasefire from May 8-10 to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies during the Second World War; a move that the Ukrainian President called nothing but a hoax.
Javaria Khalid is a writer and researcher, who specializes in Pakistan's Foreign Policy Analysis, Europe's Security, and Pakistan’s relations with the European countries and the EU. She can be reached at javariakhalid011@outlook.com
