Here’s the latest update as of Tuesday, June 3:
Fighting
- Ukrainian officials reported that at least five individuals lost their lives due to combat and shelling along the eastern front line, a region predominantly held by Russia.
- Ukrainian artillery and drone strikes targeting essential infrastructure in Russian-controlled parts of southeastern Ukraine led to extensive power outages in the entire Zaporizhia area, according to officials installed by Russia.
- Similar military actions affected electrical substations in the nearby Kherson region, resulting in power disruptions for 100,000 residents across 150 towns and villages, per the Russian-installed officials.
- However, officials occupying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe’s largest, confirmed that there has been no impact on operations at the facility, which is currently offline.
Ceasefire
- During discussions in Istanbul, little progress was made between Russian and Ukrainian representatives. However, they agreed to exchange thousands of prisoners and the remains of 6,000 fallen soldiers. This arrangement will also cover all injured soldiers and those aged between 18 and 25.
- Russia presented a memorandum aimed at ending its conflict with Ukraine, proposing that Ukrainian forces withdraw from the four regions annexed by Russia in September 2022, which Russian troops have yet to fully seize. It also asks Kyiv to pause military mobilization and cease importing Western weapons.
- The memorandum further suggests that Ukraine lift martial law and organize elections, following which both nations could sign a comprehensive peace agreement.
- Additionally, Ukraine would need to abandon its NATO membership aspiration, limit its military size, and recognize Russian as an official language alongside Ukrainian, according to the memorandum.
- Ukraine has previously dismissed such demands by Russia and announced plans to review the memorandum over the next week, proposing another round of talks between June 20 and 30.
- The White House indicated that President Donald Trump is “open” to a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
- Zelenskyy’s chief of staff expressed skepticism on Telegram post-discussions, stating he doubted Moscow’s intentions for a ceasefire. “The Russians are doing everything to avoid stopping the firing and continue the conflict. New sanctions are essential at this time,” he remarked.
Sanctions
- The US Senate announced plans to initiate further sanctions against Russia and secondary measures for its trading partners if peace negotiations do not progress.
- Proposed sanctions could include imposing 500 percent tariffs on countries purchasing Russian exports, such as oil, gas, and uranium, significantly impacting India and China, Russia’s major energy consumers.
- US Senate Majority Leader John Thune stated that senators are “prepared to equip President Trump with any necessary tools to compel Russia to engage genuinely in discussions.”
