Russian Strike Kills Two in Zaporizhzhia as Ukraine Pursues Renewed Peace Talks
KYIV, Ukraine – A Russian drone strike on the city of Zaporizhzhia Saturday killed at least two people and wounded two children, Ukrainian officials said, as a delegation from Kyiv traveled to the United States seeking to restart stalled peace negotiations.
The attack, which struck a private residence, underscores the continued violence even as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict gain renewed momentum. Ivan Fedorov, the regional head of Zaporizhzhia, reported a man and a woman were killed in the strike.
The Ukrainian delegation’s trip to the U.S. comes after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Thursday the dispatch of an official group to explore the possibility of resuming U.S.-brokered talks with Russia. Zelenskyy stated the primary goals of the visit are to secure the resumption of trilateral negotiations and to ensure continued American support for arms deliveries to Ukraine via NATO partners.
While the White House has not confirmed any meetings with the Ukrainian delegation, a Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, indicated Friday that a new round of U.S.-mediated negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv is likely to take place “soon,” describing any pause in talks as “temporary.”
The pursuit of diplomacy comes as international attention has been partially diverted by the recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Western European officials have previously accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of deliberately slowing down negotiations while attempting to consolidate territorial gains, with Russian forces currently occupying nearly 20% of Ukraine.
The timing of the renewed diplomatic push also coincides with a temporary U.S. waiver on oil sanctions benefiting Russia, providing a financial boost to Moscow. Meanwhile, Ukraine faces a critical funding shortfall, awaiting a promised 90-billion-euro ($103 billion) loan from the European Union.
Trilateral talks involving Russia have been stalled, failing to yield breakthroughs on key issues. These negotiations had been on hold as the international community focused on the situation in Iran.
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