Russia expects Ukraine to respond to the proposal for a pause in fighting by Sunday noon, the Russian Defense Ministry said
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the full liberation of Konstantinovka - one of the most important logistics and defensive hubs in northern Donbass
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia has no plans to stop its "Special Military Operation" (SVO) in Ukraine.
According to him, fighting will continue until Moscow achieves its goals, including Ukrainian neutrality and recognition of Russian-controlled territories.
Peskov said peace is possible quickly if Ukraine meets Russia's demands, but otherwise military operations proceed.
According to Sputnik, quoting USMC veteran and geopolitical analyst Brian Berletic, with its superior industrial base and ability to maintain larger numbers of trained soldiers, Russia can maintain pressure on both Ukraine and its NATO backers until either of them cracks.
" Russia has been able to hit highly expensive and difficult-to-replace military hardware transferred to Ukraine, as well as industrial facilities, command centers and dual-use infrastructure"
Moscow attacks are degrading Ukraine “faster than either it itself or its Western sponsors can replenish manpower, equipment, and ammunition”
Western military production or the scale of Ukrainian drone attacks have so far failed to match those of Russia’s
Vladimir Putin ordered the continuation of strikes against military targets in Ukraine during the meeting with Russia’s Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov
Meanwhile, in the middle east, Iran had rejected American Donald Trump's demand of a toll-free Strait of Hormuz, announcing China will be granted "special considerations" on Iran's planned Strait of Hormuz fees at the World Peace Forum in Beijing, with Iran's ambassador to China Fazli adding "we will definitely have special considerations for China, because China is a friendly country," and Iran will extend similar preferential treatment to other "countries which are friendly to us," per Bloomberg.
Iran will impose "new arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz with the collaboration and cooperation of Oman" as the Strait is now a matter of Iran's "national security" following the war, with China buying almost all of Iran's oil exports.
The US and Gulf Arab countries reject Iran's planned fees while European nations now view fees as "inevitable" and some Gulf Arab officials privately hold the same view, pressing Iran only not to "discriminate based on nationality."
On further negotiations, Trump said the U.S. and Iran have agreed to pause negotiations for a week until the events surrounding Ali Khamenei’s funeral conclude, adding that neither side will “shoot at the other” during that period, according to Axios.
Trump also claimed the Iranians “are begging to make a deal” and said, “They are all there. One shot and we can take them all out, but we are not going to do that because then we would have nobody to negotiate with.” He added that he was surprised to see mourners crying at Khamenei’s funeral, saying, “Maybe it’s fake tears.”
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