An official from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office warned that Russia may be planning for a future ground attack on Kyiv and Chernihiv, near the country’s northern border with Belarus.
Deputy head of the Ukrainan president office Pavlo Palisa told reporters that although there is not yet any evidence that Russian troops are mobilizing for a ground offensive, Ukrainian intelligence suggests that the Kremlin is preparing for a possible offensive in the two northern cities.
“The priority task for us is to prevent the creation of conditions for the Russians to be able to launch any offensive actions at all,” Palisa said, according to a Google translation of his remarks.
Palisa’s remarks come as peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have been at a standstill. Overnight, Russia launched one of its deadliest attacks of 2026 on Ukraine, killing at least 37 people in an airstrike just west of Kyiv.
Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk, whose own country has fielded Russian drone incursions into its airspace, posted on X Saturday morning that he spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about the Russia-Ukraine War.
“As I have been warning, the escalation from Russia’s side is progressing. Ukraine needs greater air support, which is also crucial for our security. This is a task for all of Europe. The next six months will be decisive, and we must be prepared as Poland and NATO for various scenarios. We cannot rule out provocations from Russia against one of NATO’s members,” Tusk said Saturday.
His remarks and Palisa’s warnings come on the heels of President Donald Trump’s Oval Office remarks this week, in which he said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin would not launch an attack on a NATO country.
“I’ve had good talks with Putin,” Trump said during an Oval Office event. “He’s not going to be attacking a NATO territory.”
RUSSIAN STRIKE NEAR KYIV KILLS 37, IN ONE OF THE YEAR’S DEADLIEST ATTACKS
CIA Director John Ratcliffe was in Russia this week for high-level discussions with the Kremlin’s intelligence officials. Though many details of the meeting’s circumstances remain unclear, Ratcliffe was reportedly warning Putin not to attack NATO countries.
The meeting was Ratcliffe’s first visit to Russia, and the first known CIA director visit to the country since Biden administration chief Bill Burns went in late 2021, ahead of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to Bloomberg.