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Ukraine Invasion Day 1,161: shadows and disinformation obscure any actual ceasefires [1]

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Date: 2025-04-28

Denying Ukraine NATO membership makes it easier for Russia to plan aggression, says EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius. He stressed that Russia fears not a NATO attack, but NATO protecting Ukraine from future invasions.

Is the only reason Putin’s declaring a ceasefire because he's afraid Ukraine will attack the Victory Day parade with drones?

Russia has declared a 72-hour unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine to coincide with its most sacrosanct national holiday marking the World War II defeat of Nazi Germany, Victory Day, calling on Kyiv to agree to the pause. Ukraine was quick in its response, which came soon after the Russian proposal on Monday. “If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, according to his ministry. He reiterated that Ukraine is ready for a “lasting, reliable, and complete ceasefire” for at least 30 full days. “Why wait for May 8? If we can cease fire now from any date and for 30 days – so that it is real, and not just for a parade,” he said, without confirming whether Kyiv would accept the truce proposal. Andriy Yermak, a top Ukrainian presidential official, was also dismissive later on Telegram, “The ceasefire is needed not for a parade, but for real and sustainable peace”. Earlier, President Vladimir Putin said Russian forces would halt fighting from midnight on May 7-8 to midnight on May 10-11. The announcement came amid rising pressure from the United States to agree to a full ceasefire in the conflict. Russia will mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War, the term it uses for its war with the Third Reich from 1942 to 1945, commonly known as World War II, on May 9. www.aljazeera.com/... List of foreign officials who have confirmed their attendance at Moscow's Victory Day on May 9th.

As Moscow prepares for possible negotiations with Washington aimed at ending its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it is seeking a far more ambitious outcome than a mere ceasefire: a global reordering of spheres of influence. In the Kremlin’s view, such an agreement would effectively mean U.S. recognition of Russian dominance in the post-Soviet space — including Ukraine — and, to some extent, an acknowledgment of its influence in Europe. To secure that goal, the Kremlin is now scouring for incentives it believes can catch and hold President Donald Trump’s attention, ranging from rare earths deals and geopolitical leverage in Iran and North Korea to a long-dreamed-of Trump Tower in Moscow. Five current Russian government officials, including two diplomats, three sources close to the Kremlin and employees of three major state-owned companies confirmed this to The Moscow Times, all speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. “The main thing is that they [the Americans] don't interfere in our affairs and don't tell us how to live,” said a senior Russian official familiar with the Kremlin’s negotiating logic. “That they don’t hinder us in doing what we are doing.” Some in Moscow also envision symbolic gestures of recognition as part of a potential agreement, such as President Vladimir Putin visiting Washington and meeting Trump in the White House. united24media.com/...

Key Updates Russia launched nearly 150 drones and missiles at Ukraine on Sunday, killing at least four people. The Ukrainian Air Force said that 57 of the drones were intercepted and another 67 were jammed.

North Korea confirmed for the first time on Monday that it had dispatched troops to fight alongside the Russian military to help retake parts of the Kursk region occupied by Ukrainian forces.

confirmed for the first time on Monday that it had dispatched troops to fight alongside the Russian military to help retake parts of the Kursk region occupied by Ukrainian forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his personal gratitude to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying, “Our Korean friends acted based on a sense of solidarity, justice and genuine comradeship”.

The US State Department expressed alarm over the admission and called for Pyongyang to immediately end its military support for Russia.

United States President Donald Trump appeared for the first time to suggest that he is reversing his previous trust in Putin. Trump said on Sunday that he is “very disappointed” over Russia’s ongoing missile strikes against Ukraine. “I want him to stop shooting, sit down, and sign a deal,” the US leader told reporters.

However, Trump also claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might be willing to “give up” Crimea to Russia, despite Kyiv’s consistent refusal to cede territory.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the Trump administration could pull out of ceasefire talks unless progress is made soon. “We cannot continue to dedicate time and resources to this effort if it’s not going to come to fruition,” Rubio told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, adding that a ceasefire deal “needs to happen soon”.

Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov stated Moscow’s readiness for a negotiated settlement but noted that there were unresolved elements. “We are ready to reach a deal,” he told CBS’s Face the Nation, adding that certain points needed to be “fine-tuned”.

Previously received US assistance will not be factored into an upcoming minerals agreement with Washington, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Sunday. Shmyhal added that there was “good progress” on the agreement after meeting US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.

German Minister for Defence Boris Pistorius has warned Ukraine against accepting Trump’s ceasefire proposal involving land concessions to Russia, calling it “capitulation”.

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