Ukrainian authorities reported dozens of Russian missile and drone attacks on April 21, a day after US President Donald Trump voiced hope that an agreement would be reached between the two countries this week.
Strikes were reported in Kyiv and other Ukrainian towns and cities. A man was reportedly injured by shelling in Kherson. A Ukrainian drone strike was reported in Russia’s Belgorod region.
On the diplomatic front, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the prospects of a deal this week. But he welcomed a comment by US envoy Keith Kellogg saying Ukraine would not be able to join NATO.
Further talks are expected in London this week between European, Ukrainian, and US officials following a gathering in Paris on April 18. US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is reportedly planning another meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
SEE ALSO: Analysis: After Paris Talks, A New Chapter In Ukraine Peace Drive?“A more sensible approach by Trump, bringing the Europeans into the talks, is an important step,” Sergei Sanovich, a fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, told RFE/RL’s Current Time on April 21.
“It could force Putin to make concessions, because Putin is interested in getting sanctions lifted,” he said, adding that the allies could agree a joint plan which Witkoff would then present to Russia.
The Trump administration has suggested that unless a deal is agreed soon, it may walk away from the negotiations completely.
“Trump’s a former real estate guy. They work like this: there’s a great deal available but it’s only available today,” said Sanovich.
Analysts have suggested there might be some chance of Washington recognizing Crimea as part of Russia, which occupied the peninsula in 2014.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service on April 21, people in Kyiv were strongly opposed to this.
"Crimea is Ukraine first and foremost. And it is not for the United States to decide our territorial integrity," said one woman, who declined to be named.
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"The efforts that the United States is making now appear to be more of a PR stunt to maintain Trump's position with his electorate," said a man who gave his name as Maksym.
Political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin told Current Time that Trump was in a hurry for a deal as his 100th day in office approaches on April 30. He said this also meant putting pressure on Putin.
“The point is you need to understand the limit to what’s possible for Putin. What does it mean if he rejects a deal? It means going against Trump,” he said.
“That means undermining a relationship that, while shaky, is at least fairly friendly. It’s a serious risk.”
Ukrainian servicemen fire a Grad MLRS toward Russian troops near the frontline town of Pokrovsk on April 19.
The events of the Easter weekend also feed into this week’s diplomatic moves.
Russian state media cited the Defense Ministry in Moscow as saying on April 21 that the country’s forces had “resumed” fighting in Ukraine after observing a 30-hour cease-fire announced by Putin on April 19.
Kyiv claimed nearly 3,000 violations by Moscow’s forces during the truce period.
In a Telegram post on April 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Moscow had ignored both a proposal for a full 30-day cease-fire and a call to halt air strikes on civilian infrastructure, including missile and drone attacks.
Oreshkin said Putin’s 30-hour truce was merely a show for propaganda purposes.
“But Zelenskyy managed to turn it to his own advantage, by proposing a 30-day truce,” he added.
“Putin was forced to not agree to that. That can be presented how they like to the [Russian] domestic audience, But externally, it’s clear where the threat to peace comes from.”