Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of failing to pause strikes

after US envoy leaves Moscow

Russia and Ukraine’s top diplomats on Saturday, April 12, 2025, used a high-level conference in Turkey to once again trade accusations at each other.

They traded accusations of violating a tentative U.S.-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, underscoring the challenges of negotiating an end to the 3-year-old war.

The two foreign ministers spoke at separate events at the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

It came a day after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss peace prospects.

Ukraine’s European allies on Friday promised billions of dollars to help Kyiv keep fighting Russia’s invasion.

While Moscow and Kyiv both agreed in principle last month to implement a limited, 30-day ceasefire, they issued conflicting statements.

This was soon after their separate talks with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia.

They differed on the start time of halting strikes, and alleged near-immediate breaches by the other side.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said:

“The Ukrainians have been attacking us from the very beginning, every passing day, maybe with two or three exceptions.”

He added that Moscow would provide the U.S., Turkey and international bodies with a list of Kyiv’s attacks during the past three weeks.

A representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry separately told state media Saturday that Moscow has been sharing intelligence with the U.S.

According to it, the intelligence Russia has been sharing, was regarding more than 60 supposed breaches of the deal by Kyiv.

Lavrov on Saturday insisted Russia had stuck to the terms of the deal.

His Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, fiercely contested that claim.

He said Russia had launched “almost 70 missiles, over 2,200 (exploding) drones, and over 6,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine, mostly at civilians.”

This was since agreeing to the limited pause on strikes.

“This clearly shows to the world who wants peace and who wants war,” he said.

Russian forces hold the advantage in Ukraine.

Kyiv has warned that Moscow is planning a fresh spring offensive to ramp up pressure on its foe and improve its negotiating position.

Ukraine has endorsed a broader U.S. ceasefire proposal, but Russia has effectively blocked it by imposing far-reaching conditions.

European governments have accused Putin of dragging his feet.

“Russia has to get moving” on the road to ending the war, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media Friday.

He said the war is “terrible and senseless.”

Lavrov on Saturday reiterated that a prospective U.S.-backed agreement, to ensure safe navigation for commercial vessels in the Black Sea could not be implemented.

This would be until restrictions are lifted on Russian access to shipping insurance, docking ports and international payment systems.

The agreement also formed part of discussions in Saudi Arabia.

Details of the prospective deal were not released, but it appeared to mark another attempt to ensure safe Black Sea shipping after a 2022 agreement that was brokered by the U.N. and Turkey but halted by Russia the following year.

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