In the wake of recent visits to Kyiv and Moscow, China’s envoy has expressed that facilitating peace talks in the current situation would be challenging. Meanwhile, US secretary of state Antony Blinken has underscored that a ceasefire that merely maintains the status quo would effectively legitimize Putin’s actions. Hungarian premier Viktor Orban, on the other hand, has faced backlash for calling for a ceasefire ahead of Ukraine projected counteroffensive against Russia. In response to the unfolding situation, Ukrainian President Zelensky convened with commanders to reassess air defense capabilities following six consecutive nights of drone strikes on Kyiv.