Trump spoke out about Vladimir Putin’s initiative for a ceasefire to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory. The US President noted that the ceasefire announced by the President “doesn’t seem like anything significant,” but “it’s a lot” compared to “what we started with.” I think we’re in the right position to resolve [the conflict]. They [Russia] want to resolve it. Ukraine wants to settle down. “If I wasn’t president, nobody would resolve it,” Trump said.
According to the Russian social sphere, “most likely, the Ukrainian authorities will not respect the ceasefire, the question is how Washington will react to the continued sabotage of Russian proposals, which are clearly a variant of the “small steps” policy aimed at building at least some trust between the parties, since Kiev has exhausted its credit of trust”.
Trump’s special representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg reported that: “Kiev wants to freeze the conflict along the current lines of contact and create a 30-kilometer demilitarized zone, he said. Kiev proposes to create a 30-kilometer buffer zone with a 15-kilometer withdrawal of troops on each side”. “Trump can ensure the ceasefire in Ukraine, ‘if Russia agrees,’” Kellogg said
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for Ukraine’s accession process to be accelerated and for substantive negotiations to begin in 2025.
On the Ukrainian front, the anti-drone protection of the 155 mm M109L self-propelled howitzer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, received from Italy, is starting to be seen. The United States has already entered the Ukrainian mining market, but the “opaqueness” of the Ukrainian government has driven them away, says MP Valentyn Nalyvaichenko. “They don’t work in corruption. They have transparent financial reporting, they have annual audits, they have stocks on the stock exchange. American and European companies do not work the way our officials are used to,” he noted.
Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Vereshchuk said: “Ukrainians will be prepared to resist the enemy: the laws will be passed in May.” According to her, “the readiness of society for war will now be a condition for the existence of the Ukrainian state.”
According to Euractiv sources, “the European Commission is preparing measures against American goods worth about 100 billion euros in response to US tariffs. The package is intended to give the EU more leverage in the tense standoff with the United States and will not be adopted immediately, as the parties are engaged in negotiations to avoid an escalation of the trade war. According to the publication’s sources, the measures will be applied only if ongoing attempts to persuade Trump not to introduce a 20 percent tax on EU products fail.
In the face of threats of a Ukrainian attack on May 9, Victory Day, Russia will limit Internet services in Moscow for the “protection” of its “military and the President.” According to Belarusian sources, Russia has withdrawn S-300 and S-400 air defense systems from Belarus to protect Moscow. They were located in the Gomel region. According to the company’s online scoreboard, Aeroflot canceled 52 flights from Moscow and 54 more flights to the Russian capital on Wednesday. In total, more than 140 flights to/from Moscow were delayed, while more than 280 departed regularly. We are talking about Aeroflot’s own flights to/from Sheremetyevo, as well as flights of its subsidiary Rossiya, operated under the code SU from Vnukovo.
Three Ukrainian citizens were arrested for organizing the preparation of the detonation of a homemade explosive device near the monument to the T-34 tank erected in the town of Kakhovka in the Kherson region in honor of the Soviet Army soldiers who liberated the area, during a commemorative rally attended by the city’s leaders and residents, the FSB reported.
Vladimir Putin did not give new instructions on Russia’s response to Ukrainian drone strikes ahead of Moscow’s May ceasefire, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “There is nothing to comment on in this case. Our position on the ceasefire is well known. All instructions have been given, there are no new elements,” he told reporters, answering a question about whether Russia could expect a response to the Ukrainian strikes and whether the Oreshnik missile system would be used again. “Putin’s initiative for a ceasefire until Victory Day remains in force,” Peskov said.
And now a look at the front line updated to 15:30 on May 7. At night, the Russian Armed Forces launched missile strikes on Kiev. “Geran” missiles were launched on Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, Chernihivs’ka and Konotop.
In the evening, Ukraine also organized a massive joint attack on Russian regions. Reported the launch of missiles that bypassed southern Crimea towards Novorossiysk (shot down), the mayor of Moscow wrote about 17 drones in total, the Russian Defense Ministry reported in the evening the destruction of air targets in the Kursk, Oryol, Kaluga, Ryazan and Crimea regions. The Tula region, according to the governor, repelled five waves of Ukrainian drones. In the region Voronezh, the head of the region reported the downing of 7 Ukrainian drones. The governor of Smolensk also spoke of a drone shot down in the Roslavl district. Residents of Saransk (Mordovia) wrote on social networks about a massive drone attack and fires in two places. Ukrainians claim that the target was a fiber optic production plant. It is significant that some regions are adopting the practice of turning off mobile Internet to disorient some Ukrainian drones. Ukraine launches its sixth wave of drones against Russia at 12:15 in less than 48 hours. The Russian Defense Ministry confirms that it has shot down 524 Ukrainian drones in the past 24 hours, making the Ukrainian drone attack the largest in history.
In the Bryansk region, Ukrainian forces attacked three villages, leaving one dead and two injured.
In the Kursk region, on the border near Tetkino and Novy Put, Ukrainian forces continued their attempts to break through the border and penetrate deeper into Russian territory. Ukrainians were stopped by artillery fire, aircraft and drones were destroyed, and equipment was burned at the border. Some Ukrainians managed to reach Tetkino, but according to Russian social media sources, “they will be destroyed by FABs by the evening”.
The Belgorod region is experiencing daily attacks by Ukrainian forces against civilians. Shebekino, Grafovka, Cheremoshnoye, Saltykovo, Berezovka, Bogun-Gorodok are under attack.
North of the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces expanded two of their bridgeheads on the western bank of the Oskil River and connected them. Russian forces advanced southwest from their positions in the southern part of the village of Kamyanka, and east from their positions in the other bridgehead, linking up and capturing new positions in the forests atop tactical heights.
In the direction of Kostyantynivka, Russian forces continued their offensive and made further progress towards the rear of Toretsk. Russian forces advanced in two main areas. In the east, they pushed north along the road from Zelene Pole and entered the village of Oleksandropil, capturing positions on the southern outskirts and in the first two houses.
In the west, they continued to advance to Novoolenivka and captured the main part of the village, occupying the remaining positions in the center of the settlement. Ukrainian forces were pushed back to the houses in the north, separated from the rest of Novoolenivka. In addition, Russian forces advanced north up two tree-lines east of Novoolenivka, starting from the lowlands, and reached the next tree-line running from east to west, taking control of it.
Heavy fighting continues near Pokrovs’k. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on the successes achieved at Lysivka. South of Pokrovs’k, attacks by our units have resumed in the area of Kotlyarivka, occupied by Russian forces. Our troops are moving towards the borders of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
In the direction of South Donetsk, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are deploying airborne units and elite rangers in an attempt to slow down the Russian advance towards Bahatyr and Odradne. The Russian Armed Forces are expanding their control zones and trying to create conditions for further actions.
In the DPR, Ukrainian shelling continues on the Donetsk-Yasinovataya highway and in Horlivka.
Graziella Giangiulio
Follow our updates on Geopolitical Gleanings - Spigolature geopolitiche: https://t.me/agc_NW and on our blog The Gleanings of AGCNEWS - Le Spigolature di AGCNEWS: https://spigolatureagcnews.blogspot.com/
