May 10, 2026, 3:22 p.mMay 10, 2026, 3:22 p.m
The Kremlin man in charge, Yuri Ushakov, behind him is Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.Image: keystone
After the US brokered a three-day ceasefire, the Kremlin now expects negotiations to end the war in Ukraine to resume soon. US negotiator Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will be returning to Moscow for talks “pretty soon,” Kremlin representative Yuri Ushakov, who is responsible for the negotiations, told Russian state television. He didn’t give a date.
Ushakov explained that the ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev, which runs until this Monday, had been achieved through two days of “not easy” telephone contacts with the US side. Witkoff and Kushner had led negotiations between the warring parties on several occasions. However, they stood still and there was no breakthrough.
The US mediators were also busy with the war in the Middle East, said Ushakov. He once again made it clear that Russia was ready to end the war if Ukraine withdrew its forces from Donbass. “They know in Ukraine that they have to do this – and sooner or later they will do it anyway,” said Ushakov.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj had always categorically rejected Moscow’s condition. This is primarily about the Donetsk region, which Russia has largely occupied. Moscow’s troops have so far failed to penetrate cities strategically important to Kiev, such as Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Zelensky rejects the Kremlin’s demand to give up the cities without a fight.
Further reports of ceasefire violations
The warring parties also reported mass violations of the three-day ceasefire announced by Trump on Friday. However, military observers emphasize that the situation overall is much calmer. Above all, the usual attacks on energy facilities deep in the hinterland did not occur. The information provided by the warring parties can hardly be verified independently.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Sunday that there had been more than 16,000 ceasefire violations so far. This also includes individual shots. In addition, 57 Ukrainian drones were shot down. The Ukrainian General Staff, however, spoke of more than 150 attacks from the Russian side. Kiev’s air force counted 27 attacks with Russian drones that were shot down.
According to authorities, a drone hit an apartment block in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine. It was said that five people were injured, including two children. (sda/dpa)