KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky denied on Saturday that Ukraine’s war with Russia had reached a “stalemate” and pushed back on suggestions that Western leaders were lobbying for peace talks.
The sprawling front line between the two warring sides has barely moved in nearly a year, and a senior Ukrainian official warned this week that the conflict had reached a stalemate.
“Time has passed, people are tired… But this is not a stalemate,” Zelensky said at a press conference in Kiev with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
The Ukrainian leader also rejected the idea that Western countries were putting pressure on him to enter talks with Russia, amid reports that US and EU officials were talking to Kiev about what such talks would entail.
“None of our partners is pressuring us to sit down and talk to Russia and give it something,” he said.
With the war entering its 20th month and Ukraine trying to make progress in a counter-offensive, Zelensky routinely meets with Western leaders to relieve the fatigue of the conflict.
Zelensky stated that the war between Israel and Hamas drew attention away from Ukraine and said that this was “Russia’s goal”.
“Of course, it is clear that the war in the Middle East, this conflict, has distracted the focus,” Zelensky said.
“We have already faced very difficult situations at a time when there is almost no focus on Ukraine,” he said, but added: “I am absolutely confident that we will overcome this challenge.”
Ukraine’s supporters, including the United States, have suggested they are ready to support Kiev with military and financial support until it defeats Russia.
news source (www.brecorder.com)
