Fighting rages amid push for Ukraine deal

MOSCOW/KYIV — Moscow pounded Ukrainian power infrastructure with drone and missile strikes on Saturday and Kyiv launched a deadly strike of its own on southwestern Russia, a day before talks involving senior European and US officials aimed at ending the conflict were set to resume.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian, United States and European officials would hold a series of meetings in Berlin in the coming days, adding that he would personally meet with US President Donald Trump's envoys.

"Most importantly, I will be meeting with envoys of President Trump, and there will also be meetings with our European partners, with many leaders, concerning the foundation of peace — a political agreement to end the war," Zelensky said in an address to the country late on Saturday.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were traveling to Berlin for the talks, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

US officials have tried for months to navigate the demands of each side as Trump presses for a swift end to the conflict and grows increasingly exasperated by delays. The search for possible compromises has run into major obstacles.

On Sunday, Zelensky said Ukraine has relinquished its ambition of joining NATO in exchange for Western security guarantees as a compromise to end the conflict.

The US, as well as European and other partners' security guarantees instead of NATO membership was a compromise on Ukraine's side, he said in answer to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat.

As diplomats push for peace, the fighting grinds on.

Russia attacked five Ukrainian regions overnight, targeting the country's energy and port infrastructure. Zelensky said the attacks involved more than 450 drones and 30 missiles.

An attack on Odesa caused grain silos to catch fire at the coastal city's port, said Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukrainian deputy prime minister for reconstruction. Two people were wounded in attacks on the wider Odesa region, according to regional head Oleh Kiper.

The drone attack in Russia's Saratov region damaged a residential building and killed two people, said the regional governor, Roman Busargin, who did not offer further details. Busargin said the attack also shattered windows at a kindergarten and clinic. Russia's Defense Ministry said it shot down 41 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight.

Seeking compromise

The latest attacks came after Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yury Ushakov reaffirmed on Friday that Moscow will give its blessing to a ceasefire only after Ukraine's forces have withdrawn from parts of the Donetsk region that they still control.

A search for compromise could take a long time, he said, adding the US proposals that took into account Russian demands had been "worsened" by alterations proposed by Ukraine and its European allies.

"We don't know what changes they are making, but clearly they aren't for the better," Ushakov said. "We will strongly insist on our considerations."

In another development, the European Union agreed on Friday to indefinitely freeze Russian central bank assets held in Europe to facilitate the use of those funds for Ukraine's financial and military needs.

The move bypasses the previous requirement for unanimous approval from all EU members to extend asset freezes. At an upcoming summit on Thursday, the leaders will discuss using the assets, estimated to total around 210 billion euros ($246 billion), as collateral for "reparation loans" to Ukraine.

In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday that Moscow would take swift retaliatory measures against the EU's illegal freezing of Russian assets.

In a statement, Zakharova condemned the bloc's actions as a serious violation of international law, saying that any freezing or confiscation of Russia's sovereign assets constituted illegal disposal without Moscow's consent.

"Our response will not be delayed," she said, noting that the Bank of Russia had already filed a lawsuit against Brussels-based central securities depository Euroclear for damages in Moscow's Arbitration Court.

The lawsuit addresses Euroclear's unlawful activities and the European Commission's consideration of using Russia's assets without authorization. Zakharova also criticized EU officials, particularly European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, for hindering peaceful efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis.

Agencies—Xinhua