The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia has seen a surge in violence, with Ukraine being hit by multiple fresh strikes from Russia amid a US-led push for a ceasefire.
Despite efforts to broker peace, the situation on the ground remains dire, with reports of attacks on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and residential areas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of effectively rejecting a US-backed ceasefire proposal, while Russia maintains that any truce would depend on the West halting all military aid to Ukraine.
The meeting came a day before Russia launched its largest strike this month on Ukraine, targeting energy facilities in the central Poltava region and causing large fires.
The attack, which involved 270 drones and 10 missiles, was a stark reminder of the ongoing violence in the region.
In response to the talks, Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner swap, exchanging the bodies of their fallen soldiers as part of deals reached during peace talks in Istanbul earlier this year.
Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said, “today, we handed over 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers to the Ukrainian side. They gave us 19.”
The peace talks have focused on potential land swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine. Zelenskyy emphasized the need for a strong Ukrainian army, provided with weapons and training by Western partners, to deter future attacks by the Kremlin’s forces.
He also hinted at the possibility of Ukraine receiving a guarantee resembling NATO’s collective defense mandate Article 5. However, the role of the US in such a force is still to be determined.
Trump said he would help provide protection but stopped short of committing American boots on the ground, promising US “coordination” instead.
Russia has rejected the idea of such a force, saying it will not accept NATO troops in Ukraine. Anna Matveeva, a visiting research fellow at King’s College London, believes a breakthrough in offering security guarantees to Ukraine is essential to pave the way for territorial swaps.
“Security guarantees were a way to give something to the Europeans… so that they have some kind of meat to chew while Trump is making some real progress with Zelenskyy and Putin on a separate track,” Matveeva said.
Meanwhile, Trump expressed uncertainty about Putin’s intentions, saying, “we’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks… It’s possible that he doesn’t want to make a deal.”
Russia has made no explicit commitment to a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying any meeting “must be prepared with utmost thoroughness.”
The international community remains committed to finding a peaceful solution to the conflict. European leaders are keen to lock US military might into the plan, and a “Coalition of the Willing” comprising 30 countries has signed up to support the initiative.
As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the road to peace will be long and challenging.