Ukraine fights for main metropolis as hopes of peace deal proceed
Ukraine’s elite forces are battling for the city of Pokrovsk and cities yet again come under major Russian drone attack overnight causing deadly fireballs
Elite Ukrainian troops are fighting to defend embattled key city Pokrovsk as hopes grew for a breakthrough in peace talks over Russia ’s full-scale invasion. Kyiv’s air assault soldiers have fought their way back into the centre and are battling back Russian forces from entering the heart of the city.
Fierce battles are being fought there amid fears Russia is surrounding Pokrovsk and an escape route for Ukraine ’s forces has narrowed down to about two miles in width. It comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky pinned his hopes on European leaders persuading the US to revise its devastating 28 point Ukraine ‘peace plan.’
The plan would give away occupied parts of Ukraine, one fifth of the country, and even more territory whilst limiting Ukraine’s military force and banning Kyiv’s leadership from joining NATO. It would offer US security guarantees but would disallow European armies from being stationed with Ukraine and offer huge concessions to Russia.
Peace talks and the battle for Pokrovsk w ere underway as at least four people were killed and 17 wounded, including a child, overnight by a major Russian drone attack on Kharkiv. The attack triggered 17 explosions and fires across Kharkiv and surrounding regions.
It followed devastating attacks by Ukraine’s drone teams hitting Russian power plants with explosions, cutting off thousands of homes from heating and energy supplies. As European leaders prepared to further negotiate the Donald Trump peace plan Donald Trump says “don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening.” And U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said talks with U.S., Ukrainian and European officials in Geneva, Switzerland, were “probably the most productive and meaningful meeting we’ve had so far in this entire process since we became involved.”
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will host talks with the coalition of the willing on the Ukraine peace plan after hailing “significant progress” but acknowledging there was “more work to do” to end Russia’s war. Downing Street said efforts over the weekend between the US and Kyiv to broker a truce with Moscow marked a “major step” but conceded there were “outstanding issues” to be resolved.
The Prime Minister and other western leaders had earlier pushed back against an original peace proposal. Asked whether he was hopeful of progress being made, Sir Keir told broadcasters on Monday: “Talks in Geneva are ongoing, and we are making progress, and that is a good thing.
“Everybody is absolutely focused on what we need to get out of this, and that is a just and lasting peace. Both of those words matter. It’s got to be just, and obviously matters for Ukraine have to be determined by Ukraine, but it’s also got to be lasting and it’s got to endure.
“So that’s the focus. There’s more work to do. As you know, along with President Macron, I’ve been leading the coalition of the willing, which is a group of countries that have put in place support for Ukraine, particularly capability, and I’m now planning that we will meet virtually tomorrow.
“So we will host a coalition of willing call to further discuss the progress that is being made, and I hope, can be made, towards the thing that matters above all else, which is a just and lasting peace, which matters for Ukraine, but it also matters for all of us, because the conflict in Ukraine has had a direct impact here in the United Kingdom.
“So progress, yes, more work to do, but we’ve all got our sleeves rolled up, ready to put in those hard yards, hopefully to get to the right outcome.” Asked whether there was deep disagreement between Washington and Europe over the proposed peace plan, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister obviously welcomes the significant progress made at yesterday’s meetings between the US and Ukraine in Geneva.
“As the US-Ukraine joint statement makes clear, yesterday’s talks were a major step towards a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. We welcome the significant efforts of President Trump and Zelensky and their teams to get to this point. Of course, there are some outstanding issues, but as both countries have set out, intensive work on the peace plan will continue in the coming days and weeks. You can expect the Prime Minister to continue his engagement with world leaders this week.”
