The 45th day of the war in Ukraine: Zelensky is ready to fight and talk at the same time

“Ukraine today has no choice but to sit at the negotiating table. No one else in Russia can end the conflict. Only President Vladimir Putin can decide when hostilities end,” the president said. Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky gave an interview to the newspaper Bild of Germany.

At a later press conference with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Zelensky reiterated that Kiev was still open to negotiations and would find ways to end hostilities. However, he said that Ukraine must simultaneously prepare for major, decisive battles in the east of the country.

“We are ready to both fight and find a way to end hostilities diplomatically,” the Ukrainian president said.

He warned that the Russian military is increasing the concentration of forces, weapons and equipment on the eastern and southern fronts of Ukraine, ready to expand its control in these areas.

According to Zelensky, the outcome of the next Russian offensive will depend on a number of factors, including the defensive strength of the Ukrainian military, the speed of weapons aid from partners and the determination of the leadership. Russia.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also made a surprise visit to the capital today Kiev and held talks with Zelensky, where he announced Britain was preparing a new round of financial and military assistance to Ukraine.

London did not inform Prime Minister Johnson’s visit in advance. During a press conference a day ago, Mr. Johnson repeatedly avoided questions about the possibility of meeting President Zelensky in person in Kiev.

Last week, Britain also pledged to give the Ukrainian army “high-end military equipment” with a total value of about 130 million USD, including Starstreak air defense missiles, 800 anti-tank weapons and weapons. high precision.

A series of European leaders visited Kiev this week, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Union (EU) foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell.

The visits come after Ukraine released numerous images accusing Russian forces of killing civilians in Bucha. Moscow denies any accusations that the military intentionally targeted civilians and accuses Ukrainian forces of staging the scene.

Serhiy Gaidai, governor Luganskcontinued to ask civilians to immediately evacuate the city of the same name in the face of the danger of escalating hostilities in the coming days.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned Russia to withdraw its forces from the north of the country to redeploy the eastern front, preparing to launch a new offensive to control the entire Donbass region.

About 30% of residents in cities and towns in Lugansk province are still holding on, despite calls to evacuate, according to the governor of Gaidai. “We have noticed that the Russian troops are concentrating their forces in preparation for an attack and the number of shelling has also increased,” he told state television.

Lugansk promotes the evacuation of civilians a day after the station Kramatorsk in the city of the same name in the province Donetsk was hit by a missile, killing at least 52 civilians. Mayor Oleksander Honcharenko estimates the city has between 50,000 and 60,000 people unevacuated.

Ukraine accused Russia of equipping the missile with a highly lethal warhead in the station raid, while the US said the short-range ballistic missile was fired by Russian forces. The Russian Defense Ministry denied that the country’s military raided the Kramatorsk station and accused it of a “bloody provocation” by the Ukrainian military.

The British Ministry of Defense said that in the coming days Russia will focus on attacking targets including: Donbass, Mariupol and Mykolaiv, with the support of cruise missiles launched by Russian warships into the territory of Ukraine. The agency predicts that the Russian air force will increase its operations in the east and south of Ukraine to support the offensive, although it has not yet successfully established a corridor on the connection between the Crimean peninsula and the Donbass region.

General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said that the Russian army had raided the Myrhorod airbase, in the province of Myrhorod. Poltava in central Ukraine destroyed a large ammunition depot, a fighter MiG-29 and a Mi-8 helicopter at the runway.

Governor Dmytro Lunin confirmed the attack in Myrhorod wounded at least two people and caused “significant damage”, but did not provide details.

The Russian military last night also fired high-precision guided missiles at a large Ukrainian ammunition depot near the city of Novomoskovsk, in the Russian province of Russia. Dnipro also in central Ukraine.

General Konashenkov announced that Russia has attacked 85 more military targets in Ukraine, including two command posts, three rocket launchers, four self-propelled howitzers, an ammunition depot and two logistics depots.

He said Russia has destroyed 650 Ukrainian military aircraft of various types, including fighter jets and helicopters, as well as more than 2,000 tanks and armored vehicles since February 24, when President Vladimir Putin launched “Operation special military”.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said more than 4.41 million people left Ukraine after the outbreak of hostilities. Many evacuees from Ukraine transit through neighboring countries, then on to other European countries.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine said that as of April 9, a total of 176 children were killed and 324 injured during Russia’s military operation in the country.

Trung Nhan (According to TASS, Reuters, AFP)