Russia is gathering a group of more than 50,000 soldiers at the border with the Ukrainian Sumi circuit, but it will not be possible to make a buffer region there," stated president Volodymyr Zelenski on Wednesday.
‘They focus their troops on the Summary direction (north-east Ukraine). Over 50,000. But we're besides successful there. Today, for example, we have taken 8 prisoners in the Tiotkino area (in the Russian Kursk Oblast)" said the president in an interview with journalists.
Zelenski stressed that the enemy army concentrated on the border of the Sumic region with the Russian Kursk region its strongest troops.
"The largest, strongest troops are in the Kursk direction. The goal is to displace our troops from the Kursk region and prepare offensive activities in the Sumsk Oblast, as well as to build a buffer zone, as they themselves say, reaching 10 km into Ukraine. I think they realize that they deficiency the chance to do so," the Ukrainian president said.
Zelenski expressed his belief that the US would "not support" Russian demands on territories, presently controlled by the Kiev authorities. The head of state declared that he would not want the United States to retreat from the peace negotiations.
"No substance what is written in the ultimatum, if we are talking about not any paper, but what can truly lead to the first step, a ceasefire. I believe that the United States at the highest level will not support (requests from Russia – PAP) that Ukraine should leave those territories where Ukraine is located. We would not like the United States to get out of this process," said Zelenski.
The president estimated that during talks about the ceasefire that took place late in Istanbul, Russia was not ready to take this step. However, he admitted that in Turkey the exchange of prisoners of war was possible in the format 1000 per 1000. Zelenski stressed that Kiev is now waiting for Moscow's "memorandum" on the war against its country. "We will read and answer their proposals," he said.
Putin's plans
Zelenski revealed that Ukraine is considering different places for further talks with Russia, but noted that Turkey, Vatican and Switzerland considered it the most real. Meanwhile, Russia has continued to propose negotiations in Belarus.
“What is it like? If they don't want (Russians talking) they should say: we're not ready. Or that we don't want to end this war. due to the fact that this is ridiculous. Belarus is for us a country from which rockets flew; it is an ally of the country that attacked us. And troops (Russian) entered from Belarus. Belarus is impossible in this regard," he said.
Zelenski's conversation with journalists, as quoted by Interfax-Ukraine, took place before his visit to Berlin, where he meets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merzem on Wednesday. erstwhile asked if he would discuss with Merze the issue of the supply and usage of long-range weapons, Zelenski confirmed that the subject would be raised.
“We have things that we couldn’t discuss thoroughly, due to the fact that we didn’t have a bigger gathering alone. And we agreed with him (with Merzez) that I would come visit Berlin and discuss it. Among all the topics is what you are talking about (the usage of long-range weapons by Ukraine), but I did not hear any signals to change the situation. I will surely answer this question after the meeting," the president of Ukraine said.
Merz said on Monday that "there are no longer any restrictions on the scope of weapons that were delivered to Ukraine, either from the British, or from the French, or from us, or from the Americans." The abolition of these restrictions means that Ukraine has the right to usage it besides in Russia, which gives Kiev a “greater chance to defend” – emphasised the German Chancellor.
Source: PAP
