Zelensky invites US team to Kyiv for Russia talks; Moscow launches 500 drones, missiles

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a relaunch of high-level trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. He has invited Washington’s negotiators to Kyiv for the same.

“I invited the American negotiating delegation to Kyiv. The delegation will do everything possible, even under the current conditions and amid the war with Iran, to reach Kyiv,” Zelenskyy told journalists, AFP reported.

These efforts from Kyiv come against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which has shifted Washington’s focus towards Iran, leaving Ukraine vulnerable in terms of critical war resources.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Zelenskyy held online talks with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

During these discussions, Kyiv proposed an Easter ceasefire contingent on a mutual halt to strikes on energy infrastructure, and requested that US mediators relay this offer to the Kremlin.

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The West Asia war has also led to a significant relaxation of restrictions on Russian energy exports by the United States, as oil and gas prices surged globally following Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz—a vital route that accounts for around 20 per cent of global oil shipping—in retaliation for the US-Israel bombing campaign on the Islamic Republic, which began on February 28.

Adding to energy woes, Iran has also struck key energy facilities across the Gulf region in retaliation for attacks on its own territory by the United States and Israel. As of Friday, global oil prices remained elevated at around $109 per barrel, marking a rise of over 50 per cent since the start of the West Asia war, forcing nations to take emergency measures.

Meanwhile, Russia on Friday launched nearly 500 drones and missiles at Ukraine, intensifying its daytime bombardment of the country, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said.

“Almost half a thousand drones and cruise missiles attacked Ukraine,” Sybiga said on X, adding that “terrorist Russia is striking in broad daylight deliberately to maximise civilian casualties and damage.”

Ukrainian grid operator Ukrenergo said that “due to the massive missile and drone attack, emergency power outages have been implemented” across the country.