Ukraine Accuses Russia of Blocking Peace Talks Amid Heavy Drone, Missile Attacks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of deliberately avoiding peace talks and trying to prolong the war by rejecting any meetings with him, despite Ukraine's readiness. US President Donald Trump has been actively mediating to arrange a summit between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, although the effort faces significant challenges, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating that no meeting is planned until an agenda is agreed upon, which he claims is not yet ready. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Zelensky have emphasized the need for security guarantees for Ukraine, similar to NATO's Article 5, to prevent future Russian aggression. Russia dismisses the possibility of immediate talks and insists Ukraine must abandon its NATO ambitions. Meanwhile, Russia continues military aggression, launching heavy drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, prompting retaliatory strikes by Ukraine on Russian infrastructure. Zelensky calls on Western allies to impose fresh sanctions on Moscow if Russia shows no genuine intent to end the conflict.