Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky says Putin’s troops will have difficulty fulfilling planned advances
Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russia’s military failed to achieve aims it set out last year and would have difficulty fulfilling advances that Moscow hoped to achieve.
Addressing journalists in Kyiv, the Ukrainian president said Moscow’s plans of seizing all of eastern Ukraine and areas further south remained unchanged.
Russian president Vladimir Putin’s forces want the occupation of the east of Ukraine, specifically the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Zelensky said, but added that Kyiv “does not see that they have the capability to accomplish the tasks” for the moment.
The assessment from Kyiv comes at a time when the planned trilateral peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, brokered by the US, are in peril due to the escalating conflict in the Gulf region.
Speaking to journalists, Ukraine’s war-time leader said he could not confirm the venue but stressed “no one has cancelled” the meeting.
“If there are difficulties with Abu Dhabi due to missiles and drones, then I think we have Türkiye, we have Switzerland – venues that have already worked and allowed us all to meet. We will definitely support any of these three venues for the meeting. We are waiting for a response from our partners,” Zelensky said.
