Third parties trying to derail US-Russia talks – Putin envoy

"Certain countries want to throw a wrench into the normalization of Russian-American relations, President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, has said. He made his comment during a rare trip to Washington, where he met with top US officials.
“Different countries are trying to derail this dialogue, derail the restoration of the Russian-American relations,” Dmitriev told reporters on Thursday evening." RT

156 clashes on front lines in past day

"As many as 156 combat engagements were recorded on the front lines on Thursday, April 3, with the majority taking place in the Pokrovsk and Toretsk sectors.
Russian airstrikes targeted areas including Stepok, Myropilske, Pokrovka, Petrushivka, Velyka Pysarivka, Turia, Prokhody, Krasnopillia, Riasne, Velykyi Prykil, and Mykhailivske in the Sumy region; Mykolaivka in the Chernihiv region; Pokrovsk, Novopil, and Voskresenka in the Donetsk region; and Sichneve, Velykomykhailivka, Malynivka, and Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region.
In the Kharkiv sector, Russian forces launched four assaults near Kamianka and the Vovchansk area.

In the Kupiansk sector, five Russian attacks were recorded. Ukrainian forces repelled assaults near Zahryzove, Petropavlivka, and in the direction of Nova Kruhliakivka.
In the Lyman sector, Russian troops attempted 19 assaults near Hrekivka, Nove, Katerynivka, and toward Novomykhailivka, Torske, and Zelena Dolyna.
In the Siversk sector, the enemy attacked Ukrainian positions near Verkhniokamianske and toward Ivano-Darivka and Vyimka, with four clashes recorded.
In the Kramatorsk sector, Ukrainian forces repelled a single attack near Predtechyne.
In the Toretsk sector, Russian forces launched 29 assaults near Krymske, Dachne, Druzhba, Dyliivka, Toretsk, and Leonidivka.
In the Pokrovsk sector, Ukrainian defenders held off 57 attacks near Novokalynove, Tarasivka, Yelyzavetivka, Zvirove, Udachne, Preobrazhenka, Sribne, Novoserhiivka, Nadiivka, Uspenivka, Andriivka, and toward Romanivka, Oleksiivka, Vodiane Druhe, Kotliarivka, and Oleksandropil.
In the Novopavlivka sector, Ukrainian forces repelled nine enemy assaults toward Rozlyv and Kostiantynopil.
In the Huliaipole sector, no offensive actions were reported.
In the Orikhiv sector, the enemy launched eight unsuccessful assaults near Stepove, Mali Shcherbaky, and Kamianske.
In the Dnipro River sector, Russian troops attempted two unsuccessful assaults on Ukrainian positions.
In the Kursk sector, 13 combat engagements were reported. Russian forces conducted 359 artillery strikes — four of them using multiple rocket launchers — and launched 16 airstrikes, deploying 28 guided aerial bombs." Ukrin

Polish President Blasts Hate-Speech Law, Bemoans Push For 'Communist'-Style EU

"As Polish presidential elections near and the term of current President Andrzej Duda comes to an end, the head of state gave an interview to Telewizja Trwam and Radio Maryja. During the segment, Duda covered many topics, including the Sejm’s new so-called hate speech law, which he said he would not sign, saying it is built on lies about “well-established” concepts.
The president also called out the left for being hypocritical.

According to wPolityce, Duda said it is very characteristic that these left-liberal trends, which shout so loudly about tolerance and diversity, are the first to block free speech,” defining language “as they wish” while also “punishing any deviation” from what they say is correct.
This is an ongoing attempt to build a world, a language, on lies, on giving new meaning to concepts that are established,” Duda told the show. “These people are very often people who smoothly transitioned from the communist system and from being members of the communist party, very quickly whitewashed themselves, painted themselves in other colors and started pretending to be great democrats. Before, they served the communists, and then they started pretending to be great libertarians,” he said." ZH