Upon his return from a crucial trip to the United States, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a resolute call against appeasing Russia. This statement followed his failure to secure the long-desired long-range Tomahawk missile supplies.
President Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington had been prompted by weeks of appeals for these advanced missiles. He had hoped to leverage U.S. President Donald Trump’s increasing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, especially after a recent summit in Alaska concluded without any significant breakthroughs.
However, the Ukrainian leader’s efforts in Washington proved fruitless. President Trump, it appears, is currently focused on achieving a new diplomatic success, particularly after the recent Gaza peace deal, leaving Ukraine’s immediate missile requests unfulfilled.
Reflecting on his discussions, Mr. Zelenskyy declared on social media, “Ukraine will never offer terrorists any reward for their crimes, and we trust our partners to maintain this crucial stance.”
He further pressed for “decisive steps” from European and American allies, suggesting that the time was ripe for another gathering of the European-led “coalition of the willing.”
In contrast to Zelenskyy’s plea, President Trump has expressed greater optimism about the prospects of a peace deal, especially after a comprehensive phone call with President Putin on Thursday, where they agreed to convene soon in Budapest.
Following his meeting with Mr. Zelenskyy at the White House, President Trump conveyed via social media that their discussions were “very interesting and cordial.” He added, “I told him, as I likewise strongly suggested to President Putin, that it is time to stop the killing, and make a DEAL!”
Meanwhile, Moscow has significantly ramped up its assaults on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure over recent weeks. These relentless attacks have plunged thousands into harsh conditions, leaving them without essential heating and light as the severe winter season rapidly approaches.
Mr. Zelenskyy detailed the intensity of these assaults, stating, “This week alone, Russia has deployed more than 3,270 attack drones, 1,370 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 50 missiles of various types against Ukraine.”
The impact of these attacks was tragically evident on Sunday, with Kyiv reporting two fatalities and over a dozen injuries across eastern Ukraine.
In response, Ukraine has escalated its own strikes on Russia’s western border regions, targeting key oil and gas facilities.
One such Ukrainian drone strike on Sunday forced a Gazprom gas plant in Russia’s Orenburg region to halt its operations of refining gas from the neighboring Karachaganak oil and gas field in Kazakhstan, according to Kazakh authorities.
It’s worth noting that prominent Western oil and gas companies, including Shell, Eni, and Chevron, hold a majority stake in the Karachaganak field, with most of its gas typically processed at the now-affected Russian plant.
Concurrently, the Russian army asserted on Sunday that it had successfully captured two villages in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, continuing its slow but costly advance through intensely contested areas.