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Russia-Ukraine Cease-Fire Expires; Fighting Continues
A three-day U.S.-brokered cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine expired with continued fighting and civilian deaths reported. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said peace talks are stalled. Separately, India more than doubled import duties on gold and silver to 15 percent to defend its plunging rupee amid fallout from the Middle East conflict.
May 12, 11:12 AM·2m read13 sources
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A three-day cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine that began on May 9 expired on May 11 with fighting reported along the front line throughout the period, according to Defense News. Ukrainian officials said Russian drones, guided bombs and missiles struck targets as the truce ended, with at least 12 civilians reported killed.
The U.S.-mediated pause had no independent oversight mechanism or accompanying political agreement on underlying issues.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on May 13 that “nothing is happening” in U.S. talks on Ukraine and that the peace process remains stuck. His remarks were made ahead of a meeting between leaders of the Bucharest Nine countries and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Ukraine’s military intelligence separately warned of an impending combined Russian strike package involving drones, cruise missiles and ballistic weapons intended to saturate air defenses.
Madhav Joshi, a professor at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame who has analyzed 42 comprehensive peace agreements signed between 1989 and 2018, stated that successful processes have averaged 1,570 days of technical work.
Joshi said the latest cease-fire lacked the “hooks” typically present in agreements that lead to lasting settlements.
A poll conducted April 20-27 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 54 percent of Ukrainians in government-controlled territory viewed government corruption as a bigger threat to the country’s development than Russian military aggression, while 39 percent identified Russia as the greater threat.
Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former chief of staff, was named a suspect in a money-laundering scheme by two Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies, according to the BBC. New tapes released this week appear to show associates close to Zelensky influencing defense contract decisions and discussing luxury properties funded by kickbacks on energy and fortification contracts, where bribes reportedly equaled 10 to 15 percent of contract value.
