On April 1, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov demanded that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky decide on withdrawing Ukrainian forces from Donbas by evening, highlighting strained negotiations due to US focus on the Middle East. Zelensky stressed Russia’s mounting casualties and the stability of Ukrainian operations despite intensified Russian attacks.
Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump announced he is seriously considering the US leaving NATO after the Alliance declined to join his campaign against Iran. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump’s disappointment, criticizing NATO’s one-sided policy. The dissatisfaction centers on the perceived imbalance in security roles.
China and Pakistan have introduced their own plan for cease-fire in Iran, calling for an immediate halt to hostilities and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The initiative also outlines humanitarian aid and the start of peace talks, though Iran itself has not officially embraced the plan.
The UK will host a summit with 35 nations to discuss measures to stabilize the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, with attendees including EU countries, the UAE, France, Germany, and Italy.
In Ukraine, Russian drone strikes remain intense—345 of 361 drones were shot down in a single day. Casualties and injuries were reported in several regions. On the financial front, Ukraine received nearly $1.3 billion from Japan under the World Bank’s “Pay in Ukraine” project and will get €1.4 billion from the EU via revenue from frozen Russian assets.
Within Hungary, new polling shows the opposition party pulling ahead of Orbán’s party, while Ukrainian MP Yuriy Koryavchenko declared the purchase of an apartment in Spain. Experts believe substantial progress in the peace process is unlikely before autumn.
