Zelensky acknowledges the inevitability of dialogue with Putin… and rocket launchers from Washington to Kyiv
Moscow: Raed Jabr – Kyiv: Asharq Al-Awsat – Washington: Elie Youssef
Yesterday, it seemed that the Russian-backed separatist forces had made tangible progress on a number of axes in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine, while Ukraine requested “heavy weapons” to counter the Russian advance.
The Donetsk Regional Defense Headquarters reported that the “Republic” forces, with the support of the Russian army, imposed complete control over the city of Krasnyi Lyman. Simultaneously, Andrei Maruchko, representative of the Ministry of Defense in Lugansk, announced that the forces of the “People’s Militia” in the region had succeeded in blocking the road to the Ukrainian government forces and besieging the rest of these forces in Sever and Donetsk.
With the war entering its fourth month, Western military analysts believe that the battle of Sever and Donetsk may represent a possible turning point in the war following the surrender of the Ukrainian garrison in Mariupol last week.
In addition, US officials revealed the long-range MLRS launchers, which Kyiv has long requested, and will provide to help Ukraine repel the Russian attack, in the Donbass region. However, the delivery of these systems is conditional on not targeting Russian territory. In turn, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the inevitability of talking with Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to end the war. Zelensky said Ukraine was not enthusiastic regarding talking to Putin, but that it would have to face the fact that this would likely be necessary to end the war. He added that Russia does not yet appear ready to take peace talks seriously. Zelensky called on the West to stop messing with Russia and to impose tougher sanctions on Moscow to end its “futile war,” adding that his country would remain independent, but the only question is at what cost.
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