Russian drone attack kills 7 in Ukraine ahead of ceasefire talks
The Hindu
Russia launches drone attacks in Ukraine, killing seven; ceasefire talks expected in Saudi Arabia.
Russia launched a barrage of drones across Ukraine overnight Sunday (March 23, 2025) that killed at least seven people, according to local Ukrainian officials and emergency services.
The attacks, including on the capital, Kyiv, came ahead of ceasefire negotiations in Saudi Arabia in which Ukraine and Russia are expected to hold indirect U.S.-mediated talks on Monday (March 24, 2025) to discuss a pause in long-range attacks targeting energy facilities and civilian infrastructure.
The Ukrainian delegation is expected to meet with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia a day ahead of the indirect talks, Ukraine’s President Voldoymyr Zelenskyy said. Ukraine is planning to send technical teams to discuss the details of the partial ceasefire.
Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said he expected “some real progress” at the talks in Saudi Arabia, “particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries and from that you’ll naturally gravitate into a full-on shooting ceasefire.”
Asked about concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be looking beyond Ukraine and could press further into Europe, even if Russia is awarded territory within Ukraine now, Mr. Witkoff said he has been asked his opinion on what Mr. Putin’s motives are on a large scale.
“I simply have said that I just don’t see that he wants to take all of Europe. This is a much different situation than it was in World War II. In World War II there was no NATO. You have countries that are armed there. I take him at his word in this sense. And I think the Europeans are beginning to come to that belief, too. But it sort of doesn’t matter. That’s an academic issue. … The agenda is stopping the killing, stop the carnage, let’s end this thing.”
Asked whether he was convinced that Mr. Putin wanted peace, Mr. Witkoff said, “I feel that he wants peace.”
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