Closing summary
Russian attacks against Ukraine have killed at least six civilians over the past day, officials said. The Kharkiv, Kherson and Sumy regions and he Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia have all been targeted in the attacks.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia is ready to consider a proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a halt to attacks by both sides on each other’s civilian infrastructure, such as energy facilities.
The Kremlin said there are no concrete plans in place yet for direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow, something Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed an openness towards yesterday. But Peskov said Putin was willing to discuss this directly with Ukraine if Kyiv removed “certain obstacles”.
Russia’s defence ministry says its forces have taken the village of Sukha Balka in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
Putin’s so-called Easter truce was part of a “charm offensive” aimed at appeasing Donald Trump, the French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.
Representatives from Ukraine, the UK, France, and the US will meet in London tomorrow to continue talks on a potential ceasefire in the war. Media reports suggest the US is promoting a “peace deal” that heavily favours Russia.
Thanks for following along today. We are now closing this blog. You can read all our Ukraine coverage here.
My colleague Jennifer Rankin has written an analysis piece about how Viktor Orbán’s hostile stance on Ukraine is straining Hungary’s relations with the EU. Here is an extract from her story:
Hungary has repeatedly sought to block EU sanctions against Russia, eventually backing down. It has vetoed the release of €6bn funds to reimburse other EU countries providing military aid to Ukraine and flatly refused to sign two EU declarations in support of its invaded neighbour.
But now its attempts to stymie EU support for Ukraine could force a reckoning in its relations with the bloc at a moment when Orbán contends with his most serious political challenger in years.
EU member states are considering more seriously than ever how to use their ultimate sanction against Hungary: the removal of voting rights under the EU treaty’s article 7.
Updated
