Russia explodes at the UK ahead of Ukraine peace talks as WW3 fears soar

The Russian Embassy in London has accused Britain of trying to derail former U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for a peace deal in Ukraine. This comes amid unconfirmed reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky might be open to territorial concessions something he has consistently denied.

With Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin set to meet in Alaska this Friday, tensions are high. The Kremlin fired back at comments from Downing Street that Putin “cannot be trusted as far as you could throw him.” London and other European capitals have warned that Ukraine’s future should not be decided without Kyiv at the table, and some have suggested a ceasefire before any peace deal an idea Moscow rejects.

In a statement, Russia’s London embassy accused the UK of trying to block a resolution:

“We note the incessant attempts by London and some of its partners to disrupt a peaceful resolution of the conflict by addressing its root causes.”

The embassy claimed that Western leaders are “using Ukraine as an anti-Russian battering ram” and said Putin remains “open to a political and diplomatic settlement” but only one that addresses what Moscow calls the “root causes” of the crisis.

Zelensky, however, remains deeply skeptical.

“The Russians simply want to buy time, not end the war,” he said, accusing Putin of trying to mislead Trump.

Ukrainian intelligence reports suggest Russia is redeploying troops for new offensives hardly the actions of a side preparing for peace.

On the battlefield, Russia claims to have broken through Ukraine’s main defensive line north of Pokrovsk. Meanwhile, some reports suggest Zelensky may be considering a freeze along current front lines leaving Moscow in de facto control of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Crimea, though without formal sovereignty.

Trump has said he hopes to win back at least some of Ukraine’s occupied territory, particularly along its coastline:

“Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine; they occupied prime territory. We are going to try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine.”

The fighting continues with heavy casualties and strategic strikes. Ukraine’s military intelligence says it hit Russia’s only helium production facility for rockets in Orenburg, 750 miles from the front, as well as two military-linked plants in Stavropol one producing synthetic sapphire for military optics and another making control systems for naval vessels.

In Russia’s Yaroslavl region, a major plant that makes anti-corrosion coatings for military equipment was engulfed in flames, reportedly due to sabotage. On the Ukrainian side, the Zaporizhzhia region was bombed again, wounding civilians, including a 68-year-old pensioner.

The Alaska meeting between Trump and Putin could mark a turning point but whether it leads to lasting peace or just another pause in the war remains to be seen.