U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday regarding efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine, amid growing pressure from European leaders for the Kremlin to agree to an immediate ceasefire in what has become the deadliest conflict in the region since World War II.
Putin’s decision to deploy thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022 sparked the most serious clash between Russia and the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
The Russia-Ukraine war has entered its fourth year, marked by intensified hostilities and renewed diplomatic efforts. Over the weekend, Russia launched its largest drone assault since the invasion began, deploying 273 drones across Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk.
The attacks resulted in civilian casualties, including the death of a 28-year-old woman and injuries to several others. Ukrainian forces managed to intercept 88 drones, while 128 were neutralized through electronic jamming.
This escalation coincided with reports from Ukrainian intelligence about Russia’s planned test launch of an RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile, perceived as a move to intimidate Ukraine and its Western allies .
