Cnn
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Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of having launched drones of attack on each other, a few hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with his American counterpart Donald Trump-and again refused an immediate cease-fire.
Russia has launched 108 Shahed drones and “various types of lure drones”, said on its Ukraine telegram channel on Tuesday, adding that the air defenses had destroyed 93 of them to the east, center and north of the country.
The strikes intervene after Trump and Putin spoke for almost two hours on Monday – Trump of the Oval Office and Putin passing a visit to a music school in the city of Sochi.
After the call, Trump said Kyiv and Moscow would start the “immediately” ceasefire negotiations.
But Putin said the Kremlin was ready to work with Ukraine on a “cease-fire possible for a certain period of time, provided that the corresponding agreements are concluded”.
Neither Putin nor Trump discussed a delay for a possible truce, said the presidential aid of the Kremlin Yury Ushakov.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Moscow was trying to delay negotiations to continue the conflict. “It is obvious that Russia is trying to buy time in order to continue its war and its occupation,” wrote Zelensky on social networks after a discussion with Finnish President Alexander Stubb who approached Trump’s call with Putin.
Putin previously ignored a proposal from Washington and kyiv for a 30-day ceasefire and snubbed Zelensky’s call last week to meet face to face for talks in Istanbul.
While the dunder talks were sprayed, Trump said that he did not think there would be an important breakthrough on peace talks until he spoke directly with Putin.
“Unfortunately, after the Trump-Putin phone call, the status quo has not changed,” said Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelensky
European leaders have decided to increase the pressure on Russia by sanctions after Trump informed them of the call with Putin, the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday in a post.
Trump said he would not join any new sanction against Russia “because there was a chance” of progress.
“I think there is a chance to do something, and if you do this, you could also worsen things. But there could be a time when it will happen,” said Trump.
After the call, Zelensky said that discussions would take place on the future location of another series of talks-which would first aim to make a cease-fire.
The Russian state news agency TASS has cited the spokesperson for Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, told journalists that “so far, no specific decision has been made concerning the location of the continuation of future possible contacts” with Ukrainian officials.
“We are mainly interested in rapid settlement by eliminating the deep causes of this conflict,” said Peskov.
Putin “wants Ukraine to go”, William Taylor, former American ambassador to Ukraine and distinguished to the Atlantic Council, told CNN’s editorial hall with Rosemary church.
“He wants Ukraine to capitulate. He wants Ukraine to disarm … be in a position where … Ukrainians cannot defend himself,” said Taylor.
“This is what Putin means when he says” deep causes “.”