Zelenskyy acknowledged issues with manpower and “morale,” but said for now his troops had stabilized the front lines and that Russian forces had advanced no more than 6 miles into the Ukrainian territory. Fierce fighting is ongoing in the streets of Vovchansk, a front-line town from where thousands of residents have fled in recent days.
Ukraine rushed reserves to the area, a move that helped prevent further losses in the northeast. But it could spread its forces even thinner on the battlefield and expose other parts of the frontlines as the Russians push in the eastern Donetsk region and reportedly mass forces near Sumy, west of Vovchansk.
Zelenskyy had earlier blamed the lack of air defenses for the breach around Kharkiv, repeating on Friday his plea for more defense systems and fighter jets.
Ukraine is desperately waiting for supplies from the $60 billion U.S. military aid that was approved last month, which includes rocket launch systems, artillery rounds, infantry vehicles and other military equipment.
While his allies are calling for a swift end to the war, Zelenskyy says Ukraine will only accept a “fair” peace solution.
“We are in a nonsense situation where the West is afraid that Russia will lose the war,” he said, “And it does not want Ukraine to lose it.”
Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to forge deeper ties this week as their countries increasingly clash with the West, and Zelenskyy wants to use Beijing’s “influence” with Moscow to his advantage.
He urged China to attend a peace summit next month in neutral Switzerland, while Russia has not been invited.
China and other global powers “have influence on Russia. And the more such countries we have on our side, on the side of the end of the war, I would say, the more Russia will have to move and reckon with,” he said.
