Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky seeks to push Putin ‘to peace’ as Kyiv marks Independence Day
Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to “to push Russia to peace” as Kyiv marked its Independence Day on Sunday.
The ceremony in Kyiv was attended by US envoy Keith Kellogg as Zelensky insisted that a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin is “the most effective way forward” to end the war in Ukraine.
The commemoration of Ukraine’s 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union came as Russia accused Kyiv of launching a massive drone attack that sparked fire at a nuclear power plant in the western Kursk region.
Meanwhile, the US has been blocking Ukraine from firing long-range missiles into Russian territory for several months, according to new reports.
The move came after a fresh review mechanism brought in by the Pentagon in late spring, which effectively limits Kyiv’s operational capabilities, according to the Wall Street Journal.
It has prevented Ukraine from striking using US-made Army Tactical Missile Systems (Atacms), or British-produced Storm Shadows, both of which need US targeting data to be effective.
Zelensky has responded to the reports saying Ukraine has recently been using its own weapons and not consulting Washington over its strikes.
