Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempted deception ahead of Friday’s planned summit with President Donald Trump in Alaska.
Zelensky cited intelligence reports from his country’s military command claiming that the Russian president has no intention of entertaining a ceasefire or ending the war with Ukraine. He made the revelation in a video posted to his social media accounts on Monday.
“Today, there was a report from the intelligence and military command on what Putin is counting on and what he is actually preparing for, including military preparations,” said Zelensky. “He is definitely not preparing for a ceasefire or an end to the war. Putin is determined only to present a meeting with America as his personal victory and then continue acting exactly as before, applying the same pressure on Ukraine as before.”
Zelensky also claimed that the intelligence reports he saw showed that Russia was preparing for more offensive military operations, seeking to harm Ukrainians, just as Russia has been doing for the last several months.
“So far, there is no indication whatsoever that the Russians have received signals to prepare for a post-war situation,” Zelensky said. “On the contrary, they are redeploying their troops and forces in ways that suggest preparations for new offensive operations. If someone is preparing for peace, this is not what he does.”
Zelensky’s message comes amid reports that Russia broke through Ukrainian defenses in the Donetsk oblast, in eastern Ukraine.
“The situation is developing quite chaotically, because the enemy, having found gaps in the defense, is seeping into the depths, trying to consolidate quickly, accumulate for further advancement, while some individuals in the command of a certain brigade either do not understand the full depth of the problem, or present the situation as ‘controlled,’” said DeepStateMAP, a pro-Ukrainian news account of military updates on the war, in a post on Telegram. “However, the military themselves, who are holding the defense there and are trying to understand what is happening, do not agree with this.”
Zelensky also mentioned that he spoke with the prime minister of Canada (Mark Carney), the crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia (Mohammed bin Salman), the president of Lithuania (Gitanas Nauseda), and the prime minister of India (Narendra Modi) about the latest developments in the war. Zelensky then emphasized three main factors required for any peace agreements.
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“First, Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected,” Zelensky said. “Second, issues concerning the war against Ukraine must be resolved only with Ukraine’s participation. Third, Russia must take the necessary steps to end this war.”
“So far, Russia has not taken a single step,” Zelensky asserted.