Ukraine, Russia report no progress in peace talks

Ukrainian and Russian delegations held more peace talks Monday, a day after Russia launched a lethal cruise missile attack on a western Ukraine military base just 25 kilometers from NATO-member Poland. At least 35 people were killed and 134 were wounded in the attack on the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security.

Monday’s peace talks – the fourth round – come as a senior U.S. defense official said that “Russia’s advances remain stalled” inside Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say their demands at the talks haven’t changed.

“Our positions haven’t changed,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Myhailo Podolyak said. “It’s peace, immediate cease-fire, withdrawal of all Russian troops. And only then we can talk about neighboring relations and a political settlement.”

Washington has dismissed Kyiv’s appeals for a no-fly zone over the country, and rejected a Polish proposal to send their Russian-made jets to a U.S. airbase in Germany to be sent to Ukraine. On Saturday, President Joe Biden authorized up to $200 million worth of American assistance in the form of military education and training for the Ukrainian army.

“We’re not going to give (Russian President) Vladimir Putin a road map of how that can be done,” she told VOA in Warsaw. ”There are many ways – whether it is more drones, whether it is other weapons – that we can help and clearly we are all committed to doing that, we must do more.”

Members of the delegation also told VOA they were concerned about the humanitarian crisis the invasion has unleashed.

“It’s heartbreaking, to see what’s happening,” said Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, who is retiring this year. “We had a chance to visit with refugees coming over the border. And heard their stories of bombings and their homes being destroyed, families split up. Mostly it was kids and moms, sometimes grandmothers with grandchildren. And what they said to us was just, ‘help us to be able to defend our skies.’ And so one of the things that we are pushing hard on and I’ve had a chance to talk to the administration while I’m over here, is to say we need to do everything that’s feasible and practical as quickly as possible to give the Ukrainian people the ability to defend themselves.”

Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, of Mississippi, told VOA he was “angry” over Russia’s demands to hold on to its gains.

“I really reject any of this talk about a settlement whereby Ukraine would retain part of their territory and Russia would get to keep some of the conquered area,” he said.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut , who was also on the trip, tweeted a photo of the senators serving food to refugees in Poland.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a nighttime address that Sunday was a “black day” for the country because of the deadly attack on the military base. He said he had given a “clear warning” to Western leaders about the likelihood of an attack at the base where NATO units train with Ukrainian troops.

“This does not come as a surprise to the American intelligence and national security community,” U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during a Sunday appearance on CNN. “What it shows is that Vladimir Putin is frustrated by the fact that his forces are not making the kind of progress that he thought that they would make.”

In an interview on the CBS network’s “Face the Nation” program, Sullivan warned, “If Russia attacks, fires upon, takes a shot at NATO territory, the NATO alliance would respond to that.”

Zelenskyy said Sunday he has attempted to arrange a meeting with Putin but has been unsuccessful, even though Ukrainian and Russian delegations talk every day to make arrangements for humanitarian corridors and cease-fire agreements.

Meanwhile, Sullivan and officials from the National Security Council and the State Department met Monday in Rome with Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi.

Media reports emerged Sunday that Moscow has requested military and economic assistance from China for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Earlier, the White House warned China of severe “consequences” if it helps Russia avoid sanctions.

Sullivan on Sunday also responded to growing concern that Russia will use chemical weapons in Ukraine.

“We can’t predict a time and place,” he said on CBS, noting an escalation of rhetoric from Moscow falsely accusing the United States and Ukraine of developing chemical or biological weapons to use against Russian troops.

Ukraine’s human rights ombudswoman said the Russians used a phosphorus munition in an overnight attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Popasna in the Luhansk region. VOA was not immediately able to verify the claim. While phosphorus is not considered a chemical weapon, its use against human beings is banned under international law.

In recent days, satellite imagery and media reporters have indicated Russian armored units are poised to relaunch a major offensive to attempt to take Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, after a lull.

Ukrainian and Russian delegations held more peace talks Monday, a day after Russia launched a lethal cruise missile attack on a western Ukraine military base just 25 kilometers from NATO-member Poland. At least 35 people were killed and 134 were wounded in the attack on the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security.

Monday’s peace talks – the fourth round – come as a senior U.S. defense official said that “Russia’s advances remain stalled” inside Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say their demands at the talks haven’t changed.

“Our positions haven’t changed,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Myhailo Podolyak said. “It’s peace, immediate cease-fire, withdrawal of all Russian troops. And only then we can talk about neighboring relations and a political settlement.”

Washington has dismissed Kyiv’s appeals for a no-fly zone over the country, and rejected a Polish proposal to send their Russian-made jets to a U.S. airbase in Germany to be sent to Ukraine. On Saturday, President Joe Biden authorized up to $200 million worth of American assistance in the form of military education and training for the Ukrainian army.

“We’re not going to give (Russian President) Vladimir Putin a road map of how that can be done,” she told VOA in Warsaw. ”There are many ways – whether it is more drones, whether it is other weapons – that we can help and clearly we are all committed to doing that, we must do more.”

Members of the delegation also told VOA they were concerned about the humanitarian crisis the invasion has unleashed.

“It’s heartbreaking, to see what’s happening,” said Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, who is retiring this year. “We had a chance to visit with refugees coming over the border. And heard their stories of bombings and their homes being destroyed, families split up. Mostly it was kids and moms, sometimes grandmothers with grandchildren. And what they said to us was just, ‘help us to be able to defend our skies.’ And so one of the things that we are pushing hard on and I’ve had a chance to talk to the administration while I’m over here, is to say we need to do everything that’s feasible and practical as quickly as possible to give the Ukrainian people the ability to defend themselves.”

Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, of Mississippi, told VOA he was “angry” over Russia’s demands to hold on to its gains.

“I really reject any of this talk about a settlement whereby Ukraine would retain part of their territory and Russia would get to keep some of the conquered area,” he said.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut , who was also on the trip, tweeted a photo of the senators serving food to refugees in Poland.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a nighttime address that Sunday was a “black day” for the country because of the deadly attack on the military base. He said he had given a “clear warning” to Western leaders about the likelihood of an attack at the base where NATO units train with Ukrainian troops.

“This does not come as a surprise to the American intelligence and national security community,” U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during a Sunday appearance on CNN. “What it shows is that Vladimir Putin is frustrated by the fact that his forces are not making the kind of progress that he thought that they would make.”

Zelenskyy said Sunday he has attempted to arrange a meeting with Putin but has been unsuccessful, even though Ukrainian and Russian delegations talk every day to make arrangements for humanitarian corridors and cease-fire agreements.

Meanwhile, Sullivan and officials from the National Security Council and the State Department met Monday in Rome with Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi.

Media reports emerged Sunday that Moscow has requested military and economic assistance from China for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Earlier, the White House warned China of severe “consequences” if it helps Russia avoid sanctions.

Sullivan on Sunday also responded to growing concern that Russia will use chemical weapons in Ukraine.

“We can’t predict a time and place,” he said on CBS, noting an escalation of rhetoric from Moscow falsely accusing the United States and Ukraine of developing chemical or biological weapons to use against Russian troops.

Ukraine’s human rights ombudswoman said the Russians used a phosphorus munition in an overnight attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Popasna in the Luhansk region. VOA was not immediately able to verify the claim. While phosphorus is not considered a chemical weapon, its use against human beings is banned under international law.

In recent days, satellite imagery and media reporters have indicated Russian armored units are poised to relaunch a major offensive to attempt to take Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, after a lull.

Some information also came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.