Ukraine was never promised that NATO membership would be part of a peace agreement or a ceasefire, Marke Rutte said. At the same time, the Alliance Secretary General noted that Ukraine’s path to NATO is irreversible. “These are two different things: a peace agreement and a long-term perspective. Since the Washington summit, we have been talking about the long term. And we don’t know exactly when that will happen. There is an irreversible path to NATO,” he concluded.
The United States is expecting a technical team from Ukraine to arrive this week to discuss the terms of the resource deal and hopes to sign it, Finance Minister Bessent said. Meanwhile, supplies of American weapons to Ukraine have resumed directly from US Air Force military transport aircraft. In response to US reports about the trade deal, Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine will be represented by a law firm in negotiations with the US on a mineral resources deal. First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Sviridenko said: “The Ukrainian delegation, which will travel to Washington this week to negotiate a resource deal, will include representatives of the ministries of economy, justice, finance and foreign affairs.”
Ukraine and France are considering renewable energy projects in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, the Ukrainian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources said. According to Politico, French telecommunications company Eutelsat also said it was unable to compete with the American Starlink satellite communications system in communications in Ukraine, the European company’s CEO Eva Berneke said. “If we were to take responsibility for all the communication channels in Ukraine and all its citizens, we would not be able to do it. Let’s be completely honest: I think we can provide communications for some critical government services,” he said.
Poland intends to lease or buy the port of Odessa, source Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Kolodziejczak.
A meeting between the Ukrainian military and the chiefs of staff of Great Britain and France, Anthony Radakin and Thierry Burcard, took place in Kiev on Friday. The topic of discussion was the deployment of Western military forces in Ukraine after the end of the war. “There is tangible progress and the first details of how the partners’ security contingent can be deployed,” Zelensky said.
The military leaders complained that: “recently it has become more difficult for us to intercept Russian missiles and UAVs, they are modernizing them and their strike capabilities.” On April 6, Zelensky said that today’s Russian strike included missiles launched from the Black Sea: “This is one of the reasons why Russia does not accept an unconditional ceasefire: it wants to preserve the ability to attack our cities, our ports from the sea,” he said in an afternoon speech. Zelensky also said that “we can manufacture air defense systems and missiles in Ukraine, but we need localization of production and licensing from partners.”
Moscow also complained about Ukraine’s implementation of the ceasefire agreement on energy facilities: “Since the morning of April 4, Kiev, contrary to all statements and obligations undertaken by Zelensky, has multiplied the number of attacks on the energy infrastructure of the Russian Federation,” the Russian Defense Ministry reported. Ukrainian forces attacked Russian energy facilities 14 times in one day. Power plants were damaged as a result of APU strikes in Bryansk, Belgorod, Smolensk, Lipetsk, Kherson and Voronezh regions.
The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev, asked about the negotiations with the United States: “Russia sees the first respectful steps on the part of the United States and there is cautious optimism and fragile hope that the dialogue has been restored.” He also noted that “new contacts between the Russian Federation and the United States will be possible this week.”
At the morning press conference, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The Russian Armed Forces strike exclusively military targets, no attacks are carried out on social facilities. And again: “Putin supports the idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine, but for this It is necessary to resolve a number of issues, which are “hanging in the air” for now, Peskov said.
And now a look at the front line as of 15:30 on April 7. According to Russian social media sources: “There is increased activity of NATO reconnaissance aircraft in the western part of the Black Sea (NATO AWACS E-3A aircraft and French Air Force reconnaissance aircraft)”. In the Kursk region, the Russian Armed Forces are attacking in the area of the Sudzha checkpoint, from the Melovoe area in the direction of Oleshnya and in the area of Guevo, where Ukrainian Armed Forces are still present. Although several sources report the complete recapture of the village of Guevo, the Russians (civilians) headed to the church in the center of the village, confirming their presence by displaying the flag. In the Sumy direction, Ukrainian channels write about ATVs about the upcoming attacks of Russian units in the now Russian-controlled Basivka area in the Sumy region.
In the Belgorod direction, Sever Group reports, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continued to strengthen their forces on the border with Krasnoyaruzhsky district. “The destruction of Ukrainian groups scattered across Russian territory and in border forests is underway.” Several Ukrainian units of the 225th and 33rd Special Operations Brigades, 47th Infantry Brigade, 414th Assault UAV Brigade (“Ptakhi Magyar”), 22nd, 61st Infantry Brigades and 17th Infantry Brigades, 122nd Infantry Brigade, 122nd TerO Brigade, “Aidara”, units of the Main Directorate of Intelligence and Special Operations Forces were discovered in the direction. There are battles near Demidovka and Popovka. Ukrainian Armed Forces continue attacks on Belgorod region: Rzhevka, Shebekino, Belyanka, Nizhnee Berezovo-Vtoroye, Beryozovka, Vyazovskoy farm and Gaevka farm were attacked.
In the direction of Kupyansk, military operations continue at a high tempo in the area of the bridgeheads on the Oskil River. The Ukrainians have advanced to the southern outskirts of Kamyanka and along the forest belts. The fighting continues.
In the direction of the Seversky Donets River, the battle continues south of Bilohorivka, the Ukrainians are not taking counterattacks.
North of Toretsk, the Russian units are making progress between Krymske and the north in the forest plantations. In Toretsk, the Russian military is driving groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of the city. To the southwest of the city, the Russian army is lining up the front from Zelene Pole to Panteleimonivka, which was recently taken by the Russians.
In the direction of Pokrovsk, battles are being fought near Uspenivka, according to some sources the city has passed into Russian hands.
On the Zaporizhia front, Russian troops are attacking and advancing the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Novodanylivka with FPV drone strikes, Ukrainians are moving reserves from Orichiv to strengthen its defense.
In the DPR of Horlivka, one injured by an artillery strike of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. A car was damaged in the central district of Horlivka. The Ukrainian Armed Forces carried out about 10 armed attacks.
Graziella Giangiulio
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