Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a stark warning that his country cannot achieve victory against Russia without continued support from the United States. The statement comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to intensify efforts to seize full control of Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region.
Zelenskyy's Plea and Accusations of Kremlin Lies
Following a two-hour meeting with former US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday, Zelenskyy addressed the media. He described a Kremlin claim about foiling a Ukrainian drone attack on Putin's residence as "typical Russian lies." The Ukrainian leader accused Moscow of using such dangerous statements to sabotage diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict.
"This alleged 'residence strike' story is a complete fabrication," Zelenskyy asserted. He argued it was intended to justify further Russian attacks on Ukraine, including strikes on Kyiv, and to mask Russia's own refusal to take steps towards peace.
In a subsequent interview with Fox News, Zelenskyy was unequivocal about the stakes. "Can we win without American support? No," he stated, outlining the severe difficulties a loss of US backing would pose. He added, "I don't trust Putin and he doesn't want success for Ukraine."
Putin's Push in Zaporizhzhia and Battlefield Claims
On Monday, in a televised meeting at the Kremlin with top military officials, Vladimir Putin commanded his army to press forward with its campaign to take the entirety of the Zaporizhzhia region. This order followed a discussion about Ukraine between Putin and Donald Trump the previous day.
During the meeting, Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky reported to Putin that Russian forces were now approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) from the city of Zaporizhzhia, the region's largest population centre. Russia currently controls about 75% of the wider Zaporizhzhia province, one of four regions it illegally annexed in 2022.
Russia's Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, claimed that Moscow's forces were advancing along nearly the entire frontline. He stated that Ukrainian troops were primarily focused on defence and attempting limited counterattacks. These battlefield reports have not been independently verified.
Diplomatic Posturing and Nuclear Plant Repairs
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasised the Kremlin's position, stating that the West must understand Russia holds the strategic initiative in the war as discussions about a potential settlement advance. "The strategic initiative rests wholly with the Russian army," Lavrov told the RIA state news agency, insisting Ukraine and its allies must accept the realities on the ground.
In a positive development, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that repairs to a power line near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant have been successfully completed. Director General Rafael Grossi said an IAEA team monitored the work, which was carried out under a local ceasefire brokered by the agency.
Meanwhile, in the occupied city of Mariupol, a historic theatre destroyed by a Russian airstrike in 2022—an attack that killed hundreds of civilians sheltering inside—has reopened. Moscow-installed authorities held a gala concert on its new stage. Mariupol's exiled Ukrainian city council condemned the event as "singing and dancing on bones."
