NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who visited Odessa on April 15, said he did not want to comment on the progress in the peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict and did not want to “interfere in the peace process.” “I decided not to comment on all the intermediate stages of this entire process, because I do not want to interfere in the peace process, and whatever we do, we do it as discreetly as possible and I cannot comment on it,” he said at a joint press conference with Volodymyr Zelensky. At the same time, Rutte welcomed the “efforts of the United States” for a peaceful solution, but noted that the process “is not easy.” “Ukraine was never promised that NATO membership would be part of the peace agreement,” Mark Rutte said. Asked whether the issue of Ukraine’s membership in NATO is still on the agenda, the alliance’s secretary general replied: “Yes, of course.”
According to the Wall Street Journal: “Several top Trump aides, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg, are advising him to be more skeptical about Russia’s desire to end the war in Ukraine, saying Putin has shown little real will to do so. The same sources say Trump should take a tougher stance on Russia’s demands in Ukraine, but Trump himself continues to support Special Representative Steve Witkoff’s position and believes Putin wants to achieve peace.”
Donald Trump has said he expects “very good proposals” for a deal in Ukraine soon. Trump says he has given Russia a deadline for a ceasefire “I have set a deadline for Putin to put the fire out,” he said. However, the American leader did not specify an exact date. Trump has previously said he has a “psychological deadline” to reach a ceasefire, but has not disclosed what it is.
The White House has informed its G7 partners that the United States will not sign a statement condemning the Russian attack on Ukrainian forces in Sumy, Washington is ready to negotiate with Moscow, Bloomberg writes, citing sources.
Poland wants to profit from Ukraine’s restoration: Tusk directly stated that, “with all solidarity, the country wants not only to help Ukrainians, but also to receive material benefits.” “Poland and the Czech Republic want to introduce a ban on the movement of Russian diplomats across the Schengen area,” the Rzeczpospolita newspaper writes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the chairman of the Sumy regional administration, Artyukh. Obshchestva. Note writes that yesterday in a commentary Artyukh “essentially confirmed that the delivery of military personnel to Sumy took place on the eve of the April 13 attack, but said that he was not the initiator.” The president of Ukraine intends to convene representatives of European countries in Kiev on May 9. As Politico reports, the “diplomatic show of force” will be an alternative to the annual Victory Day parade in Russia.
Zelensky introduced a bill to the Rada to extend martial law and mobilization. They are extended by 90 days from May 9. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved martial law and general mobilization for another 90 days. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a resolution giving recruiting centers the right to recruit and invite foreigners and stateless persons from abroad who wish to serve on a contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleksiy Goncharenko reported.
Following negotiations with Kiev, the United States has reduced its demands on Ukraine to return aid spent on its approval from $300 billion to $100 billion, Bloomberg reports. The parties continue negotiations. “Ukraine has presented a new proposal and an agreement could be signed as early as this week,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
A 30-day moratorium on attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, agreed upon by Russia and the United States, expired on April 16. Under the agreement, the parties pledged to refrain from attacks on key facilities, including power plants, oil refineries and gas pipelines. However, if one party violates the agreement, the other has the right to consider itself free from its obligations. Dmitry Peskov stressed that Russia reserves the right to resume attacks if Kiev continues to attack Russian energy facilities. He said that although Moscow is respecting the moratorium, the Ukrainian forces continue to attempt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Experts say the final decision on whether to extend or end the moratorium rests with Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia and the United States have not yet reached an agreement on the key parameters of the settlement agreement in Ukraine. “It is not easy to agree on the key elements of the agreement… We are discussing them,” the minister told the Kommersant newspaper. Lavrov said that even if Moscow and Washington fail to reach an agreement, the Russian side knows how to ensure its defense capabilities. Dmitry Peskov also said: “There are no plans for talks between Putin and Trump in the coming days.”
And now a look at the front line as of 15:30 on April 16. About 10 drones were destroyed overnight in the Voronezh region. From Odessa, attacks by the Great Russians were recorded. The Ukrainian air defense system was again operational over residential areas. Explosions were also reported in the Kiev and Poltava regions.
In the Bryansk region, 20 houses were burned as a result of attacks with kamikaze drones by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In total, the Ukrainian Armed Forces carried out 53 attacks in one day.
In the Kursk region, the Russian Armed Forces are fighting near the settlement of Gornal, as well as near the nearby monastery, where Ukrainian troops have adopted a circular defense, taking advantage of the favorable location of the target. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are launching attacks in the rear areas of the region. The Ukrainian Armed Forces carried out drone launches in the city of Rylsk, and fires broke out in several private homes.
In the Belgorod border area, the Ukrainian Armed Forces threw 5 units of armored vehicles into battle, although for some time they tried to maintain activity only by infiltrating small groups of infantry into Russian territory. The vehicles were destroyed in a joint operation between the Northern Guard units: drone operators and artillery. The civilian population is under attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Drone attacks and shelling were carried out in the villages: Plotvyanka, Krasny Oktyabr, Yasnye Zori, Shebekino, Novaya Tavolzhanka, Borisovka, Rakitnoye.
In Torets’k there are clashes between Russians and Ukrainians, and the Ukrainians are being pushed out of the built-up area of the agglomeration.
To the southwest, in the direction of Oleksandropil’, fighting continues in the area of Tarasivka, Kalynove, Valentinovka. Our aviation is striking Malinovka with FABs, devastating the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to the estimates of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Russian Armed Forces are conducting assault operations in the Kalinovo area, in the area of strongholds northwest of Valentynivka, and are trying to gain a foothold in Sukha Balka, where they entered from the eastern part of Valentynivka.
West of Oleksandropil’, battles are taking place near Bahatyr, the Russian Armed Forces are advancing and capturing Ukrainian strongholds, moving away from the settlement. Overthrow. There are also reports of the activity of our troops near Shevchenko.
Active military operations continue on the Zaporizhia front in the Lobkovoe area; the Ukrainians have counterattacked. The Russian Armed Forces, with the support of aviation, artillery and attack drones, are penetrating the Ukrainian defensive line.
In the Kherson region, a nine-story residential building in Oleshky was attacked by Ukrainian Armed Forces, while a wholesale base caught fire in Nova Kakhovka. Russian Armed Forces are attacking enemy positions beyond the Dnieper.
In the DPR, Ukrainian Armed Forces attempted to attack Donetsk, the attack was repelled thanks to the action of air defense. There are injuries from the attacks.
Graziella Giangiulio
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