Russia has dismissed the idea of exchanging occupied land with Kyiv as part of any future peace agreement, right after launching a wave of drones and missiles on Kyiv that resulted in one fatality.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had previously suggested the possibility of trading occupied areas, remarked that the recent attacks indicated the Kremlin’s lack of interest in attaining peace in Ukraine.
In an interview, Mr. Zelensky proposed the exchange of Ukrainian-controlled portions of Russia’s Kursk region for Russian-held territories in eastern and southern Ukraine.
The Kremlin outright rejected this suggestion in its response.
Mr. Peskov asserted that Ukrainian forces holding territory within Russia would either be “destroyed” or expelled.
Ukrainian forces crossed into the Russian border in August of the previous year, seeking control over key areas they believe are essential for any future agreements to conclude the ongoing conflict.
Combined missile strike
The Kremlin’s refusal to entertain land swaps came shortly after Mr. Zelensky reported that one person had died and at least four others, including a child, were injured in the assault on Kyiv. This attack resulted in damage to residential blocks, office buildings, and civilian infrastructure.
AFP reporters heard a series of explosions echo through the city and saw the body of a deceased individual covered with a black plastic sheet on a street strewn with debris.
People gather near a blast crater in a neighborhood following a missile attack by Russia in Kyiv.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not preparing for peace—he continues to kill Ukrainians and devastate cities,” Mr. Zelensky stated on social media post-attack.
“Only decisive actions and pressure on Russia can halt this terror. At this moment, we require the unity and support of all our allies in the battle for a fair conclusion to this war,” he further added.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed to have executed a “group missile strike” on Ukrainian military-industrial facilities responsible for drone production, insisting that all targeted locations were successfully hit.
Mr. Zelensky’s remarks regarding Russia’s willingness to negotiate follow increased rhetoric from Moscow, Washington, and Kyiv about the potential for talks that could bring an end to the nearly three-year Russian invasion.
Mr. Zelensky is scheduled to meet US Vice President JD Vance alongside the Munich Security Conference. This event will prominently feature discussions of the war, which has led to the loss of tens of thousands of lives.
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Flurry of meetings
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg, tasked with devising a proposal to cease hostilities, is also set to visit Ukraine next week following the Zelensky-Vance meeting in Munich.
This trip will occur just days before the three-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion on February 24.
President Trump commenced his term with a pledge to conclude the war in Ukraine, possibly leveraging billions in US aid allocated under former president Joe Biden to pressure Kyiv into territorial concessions.
President Trump welcomed Marc Fogel, an American imprisoned in Russia on drug charges since 2021, to the White House. Fogel was released by Moscow and returned to the United States after US envoy Steve Witkoff secured his freedom.
The US President claimed that Russia had behaved “very nicely” regarding Fogel’s release and expressed hope that it could be the “beginning of a relationship where we can end that war.”
Mr. Peskov noted that the two parties had agreed to swap Mr. Fogel for a Russian national detained in the US. He added that the identity of the liberated Russian would be revealed once they returned to Russia.
However, he downplayed the notion that the exchange represented any “turning point” in relations, suggesting instead that it might help gradually improve ties that are currently at their “lowest point.”
US President Donald Trump welcomed Marc Fogel to the White House.
Russia advances on the battlefield
In Kyiv, emergency services reported that approximately 120 rescue personnel had been dispatched to three districts in the wake of the attack, and that fires caused by the missile barrage had been put out.
In the Chernihiv region, north of Kyiv, Governor Vyacheslav Chaus stated that Russian forces targeted “critical infrastructure” in the onslaught, injuring two people.
Ukraine’s air force reported having shot down six missiles and 71 out of 123 drones, including Iranian-manufactured Shahed attack drones.
The increasing discussions concerning a potential resolution to the conflict arise during a challenging period for Ukraine on the battlefield. The Ukrainian army has been ceding ground to better-equipped Russian forces at crucial points along the extensive front line.
