Russia, Ukraine accuse each other of failing to pause strikes after US envoy leaves Moscow

Russia and Ukraine's top diplomats on Saturday used a high-level conference in Turkey to once again trade accusations of violating a tentative US-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, underscoring the challenges of negotiating an end to the .

The two foreign ministers spoke at separate events at the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum, a day after US envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss peace prospects. Ukraine's on Friday promised billions of dollars to help Kyiv keep fighting Russia's invasion.

While Moscow and Kyiv both agreed in principle last month to implement a limited, , they issued conflicting statements soon after their separate talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia. They differed on the start time of halting strikes, and alleged near-immediate breaches by the other side.

“The Ukrainians have been attacking us from the very beginning, every passing day, maybe with two or three exceptions,” Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said, adding that Moscow would provide the US, Turkey and international bodies with a list of Kyiv's attacks during the past three weeks.

A representative of the Russian foreign ministry separately told state media on Saturday that Moscow has been sharing intelligence with the US regarding more than 60 supposed breaches of the deal by Kyiv. Lavrov on Saturday insisted Russia had stuck to the terms of the deal.

Um.

Russia was attacking Ukraine when you were in office, Donald.

Pretty much every day. pic.twitter.com/zyK3ljxLNr

— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) April 11, 2025

His Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, fiercely contested that claim, saying Russia had launched “almost 70 missiles, over 2,200 (exploding) drones, and over 6,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine, mostly at civilians”, since agreeing to the limited pause on strikes. “This clearly shows to the world who wants peace and who wants war,” he said.

Russian forces hold the advantage in Ukraine, and Kyiv has warned Moscow is planning a to ramp up pressure on its foe and improve its negotiating position.

Ukraine has endorsed a broader US ceasefire proposal, but Russia has effectively blocked it by imposing far-reaching conditions. European governments have accused Putin of dragging his feet.

“Russia has to get moving” on the road to ending the war, US President posted on social media on Friday. He said the war is “terrible and senseless”.

Lavrov on Saturday reiterated that a prospective US-backed agreement, also discussed in Saudi Arabia, to ensure safe navigation for commercial vessels in the Black Sea could not be implemented until restrictions are lifted on Russian access to shipping insurance, docking ports and international payment systems.

Details of the prospective deal were not released, but it appeared to mark another attempt to ensure safe Black Sea shipping after a 2022 agreement that was brokered by the UN and Turkey but halted by Russia the following year.