Western military leaders will discuss the possible deployment of troops to Ukraine who would monitor a potential cease-fire in the conflict with Russian and be part of the country’s new security structure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.
“This is our starting point: the Ukrainian army must be strong enough, and on this foundation, the entire security architecture is built,” Zelenskyy said. “A meeting will take place in just a few days -- on Friday (April 4) -- with representatives of our partner states -- these will be military representatives.”
Zelenskyy met in Kyiv on April 1 with outgoing German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, saying that a "narrow circle of countries" is willing to send contingents.
The Ukrainian leader told a joint news conference with Baerbock that he was awaiting "more concrete" answers from allies on their readiness to participate.
France and Britain have expressed a willingness to send troops as part of a so-called coalition of the willing to monitor a potential cease-fire. But Russia has strongly opposed any deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine.
In his video address, Zelenskyy also said Ukraine has now shared “all the necessary information regarding Russia’s violations in the energy sector” with its US partners. He said there were strikes on April 1 in Kherson, including a Russian drone that targeted an energy facility and equipment “entirely deliberately and purposefully” and part of the city was left without electricity.
“We insist that every such violation must be documented and receive a response from our partners,” he said. “It is precisely these small details that add up to Russia’s major delays in the diplomatic process."
Zelenskyy referred to an agreement between Kyiv and Moscow not to strike each other's energy facilities. The agreement was announced by the White House on March 25 along with a cease-fire to allow navigation on the Black Sea.
Kyiv said the agreement on energy facilities would take effect immediately. Moscow, however, has said it would follow the partial lifting of sanctions pertaining to Russian companies and banks involved in the international food trade.
A day after her visit to Kyiv, Baerbock arrived in Moldova for a two-day visit to meet with President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Dorin Recean.
"Peace that is negotiated over the heads of Europeans -- or even over the heads of Ukrainians -- is not peace," she told RFE/RL's Moldovan Service at a news conference in Chisinau on April 2.
Baerbock also reiterated the position that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, along with French and British leaders, had previously expressed at the "coalition of the willing" summit -- that sanctions against Russia "will not be lifted without peace."
"Just before I arrived, there was another attack on the energy infrastructure...The Russian side had supposedly indicated that they would no longer target energy facilities -- in fact, the exact opposite happened," Baerbock said.
Germany announced a commitment to an additional 130 million euros ($140 million) in humanitarian aid and stabilization funds during Baerbock’s visit. The package will bring German assistance since the start of the Russian invasion to Ukraine to 7 billion euros, he said.
Zelenskyy thanked Germany for ensuring that its support for Ukraine remains predictable and systematic. The stability of support is one of the key factors in defending against Russian aggression, he said.
"It is the interruptions in supplies, disagreements between partners, and all signs of instability that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is highly counting on,” he said.
Russian troops launched a massive drone strike on Kharkiv on the night of April 1. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said 13 Shahed drones hit in the city, and at least eight people were injured.
"The consequences included the fire of two industrial buildings, and more than 10 private sector houses were damaged nearby," Terekhov said.
A Russian strike earlier on April 1 in the Zaporizhzhya region hit civilian infrastructure, killing one person, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
