Stalemate in the War, Russia and Ukraine Propose Talks Again

[Global Times Special Correspondent in Russia, Xiao Xinxin] As Ukraine attempts to "blockade" the Crimea region by increasing drone attacks, Russia has recently launched the "Fortress Belt" battle in Donbas, with both sides engaged in fierce fighting in places like Bakhmut and Konstantinovka. According to the Kyiv Independent, since the G7 summit in Evian, France, Ukraine believes it has gained the support of U.S. President Trump, allowing it to take "bolder" actions against Russia and forcing Russia to engage in meaningful negotiations. An analysis by RIA Novosti on the 24th stated that Ukraine's drone offensive cannot extricate it from its predicament, and the Russian military is "entering the final sprint phase" in the Donbas region. Russian President Putin stated on the 23rd that Russia is prepared to engage in peace negotiations with Ukraine, but emphasized that talks should be based on ground realities. As both Russia and Ukraine seek to achieve more military results to gain an advantage for future negotiations, the potential shift in the U.S. stance, which had previously been committed to promoting Russia-Ukraine talks, has drawn widespread attention.

Intense Fighting on Multiple Fronts

Currently, mutual drone strikes and frontline battles between Russia and Ukraine continue. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on the 24th that from the evening of the 23rd to the morning of the 24th, the Russian military launched 101 drones into Ukrainian territory, of which the Ukrainian air defense systems shot down 95. The report also stated that there were 251 combat incidents in the frontline areas over the past day. The Russian military launched the most attacks in the Pokrovsk direction, while Ukrainian forces repelled Russian attacks in the Bakhmut direction.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on the 24th that from the evening of the 23rd to the morning of the 24th, Russian air defense systems intercepted and shot down 323 Ukrainian drones over 20 regions, including Moscow Oblast and Crimea, as well as over the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. The report also stated that Russian forces continue to advance in the Donetsk region, capturing 5 Ukrainian strongholds and 43 buildings in Bakhmut. Over the past day, Russian forces also took control of 114 buildings in the southwestern part of Konstantinovka.

According to Russian media reports, Bakhmut is a railway hub city in the Donetsk region, and Konstantinovka is also a "fortress city" for Ukrainian forces in the area. Once both locations are controlled, Russian forces can advance towards the main Ukrainian logistics base and transportation hubs of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in the region. With Russian forces nearly fully controlling Konstantinovka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk are now within the range of Russian missiles, drones, and artillery fire.

The RBC-Ukraine news agency analyzed on the 24th that Russian forces are continuously infiltrating Konstantinovka in small units, but this does not mean they have controlled the area. The Ukrainian military stated on the 23rd that they have successfully cleared the southern part of the city, with only a "very small number" of Russian troops remaining. Currently, Ukrainian forces have begun to drive Russian troops out of the central and western parts of the city.

On the evening of the 23rd, Ukraine launched airstrikes on the Crimea region, causing power outages in the largest city, Sevastopol. The BBC reported that Ukraine is increasing attacks on the region's power facilities to severely damage Russian oil revenues and force Russia back to the negotiating table.

Regarding the attacks launched by Ukraine, Putin stated on the 23rd that as the frontline situation for Ukrainian forces rapidly deteriorates, losing one piece of land after another, Ukraine has adopted a strategy of attacking Russian civilian infrastructure in an attempt to disrupt Russia's energy industry and tourism season, aiming to create favorable conditions for itself in the resumption of negotiations and to "create a strong illusion." Russian presidential spokesman Peskov emphasized on the 24th that the frontline situation is increasingly deteriorating for Ukraine, and the situation is evident. The Russian military is advancing along the entire frontline, and at some point, Ukraine will face an irreversible situation, thus they are doing everything possible to counterattack.

Media outlets like "Military Observer Network" analyze that both Russia and Ukraine are currently intensifying mutual attacks to achieve more military results to gain an advantage for potential future negotiations. However, as the fighting continues to intensify, the prospects and outcomes of negotiations remain uncertain.

Ukraine and Europe Concerned About U.S. Attitude Change

Ukraine is trying to gain support from allies through military actions, and since last week, the U.S. stance has drawn attention from various parties. According to the Kyiv Independent on the 23rd, Ukraine believes they are trying to convey a message to partners that Ukraine is making progress in the war. Ukrainian officials believe that recent military advancements have helped persuade Trump, and Ukraine is now in a stronger position than at the beginning of the year. Although U.S. officials have not confirmed whether Trump explicitly supports Ukraine's airstrikes within Russian territory, they stated that the president believes strength is key.

The Financial Times reported on the 24th, citing sources, that during last week's G7 summit, Trump was impressed by Ukraine's recent deep strikes into Russian territory and even showed considerable enthusiasm. Reports indicate that European countries have also noticed Trump's change in perception of the situation. A senior NATO officer stated that as long as Ukraine receives sufficient supplies, it can have a significant effect on the battlefield, and the Russian military's defenses are not insurmountable. However, despite seeing signs of improvement in Trump's attitude towards Ukraine, Ukraine remains cautious, as Trump has frequently made promises and then changed his position.

Russian President Discusses Four Bases for Negotiation

"The Americans have not yet told us what they learned from the Evian summit, how they view the summit's outcomes, and what their future course of action will be." Regarding the U.S. stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated on the 24th at an event. The day before, Putin, in a video conference with government officials, stated that Russia is prepared to engage in peace negotiations with Ukraine, but the talks should be based on four foundations. According to the Kremlin's website, Putin stated that Russia-Ukraine negotiations must be based on the agreements reached in Istanbul in 2022, the model discussed by the Russian and U.S. leaders during their meeting in Anchorage in August 2025, the current ground realities, and the principles he articulated in a speech at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in June 2024.

According to RIA Novosti on the 23rd, Lavrov stated that Russia is ready to resume negotiations with Ukraine from where they were previously interrupted and pointed out that the terms for resolving the conflict were agreed upon by the Russian and U.S. leaders nearly a year ago in Anchorage. However, he noted that in terms of action, the U.S. is abandoning its role as an "objective mediator" and continues to intensify sanctions against Russia. Reports indicate that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov stated on the same day that there are signs of the U.S. deviating from the "Anchorage consensus," and Russia hopes this does not mean the U.S. will change its position.