Shelling on Kyiv Ahead of the Fourth Anniversary of the War and an American Proposal to Gather Putin and Zelensky

SadaNews - Intense explosions shook the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early this Sunday, amid a state of complete air alert across the country, as signs of American diplomatic activity led by close associates of President Donald Trump emerged, aimed at bringing Moscow and Kyiv to the negotiating table.

The military administration in Kyiv reported that the capital was subjected to a Russian ballistic missile attack, with sirens wailing and residents urged to take shelter in bunkers. This escalation comes just two days before the fourth anniversary of the start of the Russian war on Ukraine, under harsh weather conditions with temperatures dropping below 10 degrees Celsius.

In the western city of Lviv, close to the Polish border and away from direct frontline confrontations, a police officer was killed and at least 14 others were injured in explosions that the mayor Andriy Sadovyi described as "terrorist acts."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced that the "Oreo" biscuit factory owned by the American company Mondelez in the eastern city of Trostianets was hit by a Russian missile strike for the second time since the war began, considering that Russian attacks are now directly targeting American commercial interests in Europe.

Proposals to Bring Putin and Zelensky Together

On the diplomatic front, Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for the American president, expressed optimism, along with Jared Kushner, about presenting concrete proposals to end the conflict in the next three weeks.

Witkoff explained in statements to "Fox News" that these proposals could pave the way for a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with the possibility of it evolving into a three-way summit with Trump attending, stressing that the latter would only participate if a "best outcome" is guaranteed.

Zelensky: We Are Not Losing

In a related context, the Ukrainian president confirmed that his country is not losing the war despite the ground pressures in Donbas, announcing that Ukrainian forces had regained 300 square kilometers of territory in the southern front.

Zelensky noted in statements to Agence France-Presse that he intends to consult with European allies and countries from the Middle East and Turkey to ensure that negotiations lead to a just peace, at a time when European leaders are preparing for a meeting of the "Alliance of Willing" to support Ukraine, to be chaired by France and the UK next Tuesday.

These developments come two days before the anniversary of February 24, the day in 2022 when Russia launched a wide-scale military attack on its neighbor Ukraine. Moscow demands that Ukraine abandon its ambitions to join Western military entities in order to end the war, a condition that Ukraine rejects, considering it a brazen interference in its sovereignty and internal affairs.

Source: Al Jazeera + Agencies