The Ukrainian army has reclaimed 300 square kilometers in the south of the country, stated the leader from Kiev, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an interview for AFP publication. However, peace negotiations with Russia remain stalled, the dispute concerning the situation in Donbas. According to President Zelenskyy, a potential compromise can only be discussed after obtaining solid security guarantees from Western partners, reports IPN.
The Ukrainian leader mentioned that the recapture of territories was made possible through counterattacks on Russian forces, but did not specify the liberated localities nor the exact period of the operations.
At the same time, he emphasized that, in the peace negotiations, both Moscow and Washington – as mediating parties – support the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas, which includes the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. Kiev has repeatedly rejected this option, arguing that it would encourage further actions by Russia.
The Ukrainian president stated on Friday that, at the recent round of negotiations in Geneva, the parties did not reach a consensus on territorial issues, including the situation in the east. However, the delegations agreed to organize a new round of discussions within ten days.
According to the assessments of February 20, conducted by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia controls approximately 18-20% of Ukrainian territory. The figure includes the Crimean peninsula, annexed in 2014, as well as significant parts of the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia regions, occupied after the Russian invasion in February 2022. Additionally, Russian forces are present in several localities in the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Dnipro regions.
