The conflict between Russia and Ukraine persists despite US President Donald Trump’s inaugural promise to swiftly end the war. Both nations launched airstrikes on Tuesday January 21, with Kyiv reporting strikes on Russian targets in Voronezh and Smolensk, while Russia claimed to have downed 55 Ukrainian drones and captured the village of Vovkove in Donetsk.
Trump has stated his administration aims to broker peace, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressing optimism about potential negotiations. Trump’s team has suggested intensified sanctions on Russia and potential military aid to Ukraine. Reportedly, the administration has also engaged with Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding mediation talks.
Meanwhile, Putin has expressed openness to dialogue but insists on retaining control over Russian-occupied areas of Donbas, complicating peace efforts.
However, several concerns emerged following the US President’s inauguration, including potential concessions to Moscow, such as freezing battle lines or halting Ukraine’s NATO ambitions. In addition, a week earlier, Trump’s advisers tempered expectations for an immediate resolution to the Ukraine war, citing its complexity and staffing challenges. Analysts remain divided on whether Trump will accept Russia’s terms or seek a more balanced resolution.
Moscow’s peace ambitions remain unclear: while Putin said he was willing to dialogue, Russian state media Ria Novosti alleges that Ukrainian command and intelligence had evacuated from Krasnoarmeysk, near Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast. A key Ukrainian logisitcal hub in the Donbas, Pokrovsk has been a Russian target for the past months, and a Ukrainian command disruptions in the area could signify the fall of the city, and possibly large part of the Donetsk Oblast.