Urgent Alert: Zelenskyy Forewarns 'Massive' Russian Offensive Imminent

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a grave warning regarding a potential "massive" new Russian attack on Ukraine, citing intelligence that suggests Moscow has "readied missiles" for a strike expected "within the next 48 hours." He urged citizens to remain vigilant and heed air raid alerts. This alert follows a series of recent devastating Russian strikes. On Friday, missile attacks on the Kyiv region resulted in at least 10 fatalities and approximately 100 injuries. These strikes reportedly targeted an arms exhibition where representatives from the Ukrainian defence industry were present. Additionally, five people were killed in Slovyansk due to guided aerial bomb strikes, a fact confirmed by Zelenskyy. The severity of these attacks was further underscored by the damage inflicted upon Latvia's consulate in Slovyansk, an incident that prompted a strong condemnation from Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, who stated it "underscores Moscow’s utter disregard for international law" and affirmed the EU's full support for Latvia.

Amidst these escalating tensions, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict are continuing. President Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington next week. This meeting is part of ongoing discussions between the US and Ukraine concerning various peace proposals aimed at resolving the war, which commenced with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Zelenskyy recently confirmed having "a good and important conversation about how to energize diplomacy and bring peace closer" with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, earlier in the week.

Parallel to these discussions, a significant encounter took place between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The two diplomats met on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers' summit in the Philippines. According to the Kremlin, Lavrov used this opportunity to caution Washington against the continued provision of arms to Kyiv. A statement from the Russian foreign ministry indicated that Lavrov "briefed his American counterpart on the actual situation along the front line and emphasised that it would be unacceptable to further arm the Kyiv regime." Following the meeting, Secretary Rubio described their conversation as "good" and "frank," though he refrained from elaborating on the specifics. When directly questioned about the Kremlin's statement regarding arms sales, Rubio clarified that the US sells arms via PURL, an initiative through NATO, and affirmed, "There's been no change to our policy in that regard." He reiterated the US stance, stating, "We want a peace deal. We want the war to end." These diplomatic exchanges highlight the complex interplay of military actions and international peace efforts as the conflict continues.