Zelenskyy urges pressure on Russia as US-Ukraine talks begin

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy connected Sunday called connected Ukraine's allies to use caller unit connected Moscow to halt the war.

The telephone came aft astir 150 Russian drones targeted Kyiv and different Ukrainian cities overnight, sidesplitting astatine slightest 7 people.

"New decisions and caller unit connected Moscow are needed to enactment an extremity to these strikes and this war," Zelenskyy posted connected societal media up of talks connected a partial ceasefire.

Originally scheduled for Monday successful Saudi Arabia, the US-Ukraine talks connected a partial ceasefire began connected Sunday.

After the meeting, Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov took to his X relationship to statement the talks with the US delegation successful Saudi Arabia "constructive and meaningful."

"We discussed cardinal issues, peculiarly the vigor sector," the Ukrainian curate said. The US squad would conscionable separately with the Russian delegation.

In a station connected Instagram earlier, Zelenskyy besides said, implicit 1,580 guided aerial bombs, astir 1,100 onslaught drones, and 15 missiles of assorted types were utilized against the Ukrainian radical this week alone, stressing that each of this weaponry contains astatine slightest 102,000 overseas components.

"That's wherefore sanctions against Russian terrorists indispensable beryllium much effective. Every loophole that allows them to bypass the sanctions authorities indispensable beryllium eliminated," helium wrote.

Russia warns of 'difficult negotiations'

Meanwhile, Russia downplayed expectations of a speedy solution to the war successful Ukraine, saying talks were conscionable opening and that "difficult negotiations" laic ahead.

"We are lone astatine the opening of this path," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian authorities TV.

According to Peskov, Russia's "main" absorption successful its talks with the United States would beryllium to sermon the imaginable resumption of a 2022 Black Sea atom deal, which would guarantee harmless navigation for Ukrainian cultivation exports successful the Black Sea.

US expects existent advancement successful talks

US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff said helium expects Ukraine and Russia to marque progress connected a ceasefire successful the Black Sea astatine the talks successful Saudi Arabia.

"I deliberation you're going to spot successful Saudi Arabia connected Monday immoderate existent progress, peculiarly arsenic it affects a Black Sea ceasefire connected ships betwixt some countries. And from that, you'll people gravitate to a full-on shooting ceasefire," helium told Fox News.

Witkoff besides said helium believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wants bid and is not readying to invade "all of Europe."

"I consciousness that helium wants peace," Witkoff said.

Meanwhile, White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said the United States is discussing a scope of confidence-building measures aimed astatine ending the war, including the aboriginal of Ukrainian children taken to Russia.

Earlier, Putin rejected a associated US-Ukrainian connection for a afloat and contiguous 30-day ceasefire. Instead, helium projected halting strikes lone connected vigor facilities. But connected the eve of the negotiations, some sides launched caller drone attacks.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse