Peace in Ukraine remains far from being a reality. Despite the efforts of Donald Trump, who on Monday held calls with several European leaders, with Zelenski, and with Putin, the rapprochement between the two parties is non-existent.
The latest information, published by The Wall Street Journal, indicates that during a call on Monday, the U.S. president told European leaders that Putin is not ready to end the war in Ukraine because he believes he is winning. Additionally, one of the European officials who participated in the call stated that Trump initiated the conversation on Monday by saying, "I think Vladimir does not want peace."
However, European officials described the call as confusing and contradictory, as Trump also stated that he believed Putin, ultimately, desired peace, albeit on Russia's terms. According to the WSJ, the Europeans concluded that Trump did not believe a short-term peace agreement was in sight and that the war was a problem for Europe.
Nine Injured in Drone Attack on Russian Region of Lipetsk
Nine people were injured last night in a Ukrainian drone attack on the city of Yelets in the Lipetsk region of Russia, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Health on Friday.
According to the press release from the ministry, the nine injured were hospitalized, and doctors assess their condition as moderate.
Ukraine Launches 25 Drones Near Moscow
Russian anti-aircraft defenses shot down 112 Ukrainian drones last night, 25 of them near Moscow, as reported today by the Russian Ministry of Defense on their Telegram channel, according to Efe.
"Since 8:00 p.m. on May 22, anti-aircraft defense systems have intercepted 112 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones," the military report published early this morning stated.
Ukraine Reports Attack on Russian Military Industry Factory in Lipetsk
Ukraine reported on Friday a new attack on a factory located in the Lipetsk region of western Russia that produces "accumulators and batteries" for drones, aviation, the fleet, and radio-electronic systems of the Russian Army, as reported by Efe.
According to the head of the Disinformation Center of the National Security Council of Ukraine, Andriy Kovalenko, the attacked factory is called 'Energiya' and is located in the city of Yelets in the mentioned Russian region.
Russia Claims to Have Shot Down 112 Ukrainian Drones Overnight
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Friday that their air defense systems shot down 112 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 24 over the Moscow region, as reported by Reuters.
Ukraine has intensified drone attacks against Russia in recent days, leading to the temporary closure of Russian airports. On Thursday, Russia announced the firing of an Iskander-M missile at a part of the city of Pokrov in the Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk.
Sánchez Meets with Erdogan to Discuss Gaza and Ukraine Situation
The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, meets on Friday in Istanbul with the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to discuss, among other issues, the situation in Gaza and peace prospects in Ukraine, as reported by Efe.
The meeting with the Turkish president will allow both to review bilateral relations, which Government sources describe as excellent, and in anticipation of a new summit between the two countries.
Peace prospects in Ukraine will be another topic of discussion between Sánchez and Erdogan, whose country hosted negotiations last week between delegations from Russia and Ukraine.