On Saturday night, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson congratulated Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky on pushing Russian forces out of the Kyiv region.
Also read: Ukraine’s chief negotiator: The basis for presidential talks is clear
In a conversation with the Ukrainian president, Johnson also acknowledged the “enormous suffering inflicted on the civilian population”, according to the Prime Minister’s office. BBC.
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Ukrainian forces have recaptured the entire Kyiv region, the country’s defense ministry said on Saturday. Johnson also briefed Zelensky on a military donor conference hosted by Britain with 35 countries.
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The President of Ukraine, for his part, updated the British Prime Minister on the peace talks and welcomed “further British involvement in the diplomatic effort”, reports Downing Street.
But even though the inhabitants of the Kyiv region can now shrug their shoulders, fighting has intensified in the south-east. Sunday morning the port city of Odesa was shaken by several powerful explosions, reports Washington Post’s correspondent and a reporter from the news agency AFP. Thick smoke is rising from the city center, but it is unclear what has been hit.
Also read: Russia claims to have attacked an airport in the Poltava region of Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj says Russia’s goal is to take control of southern and eastern Ukraine. “What is the goal of the Russian forces? They will conquer both the Donbas and southern Ukraine. What is our goal? To protect ourselves, our freedom, our country and our citizens “, Zelenskyj said in his daily video speech to the nation.
Will celebrate victory over the “Nazis”
This is supported by US intelligence, which has previously been shown to vote well in terms of what Putin is thinking. Intelligence sources say CNN that Putin will now be pressured to show results in the military operation, and that the goal now is to gain control of areas in eastern Ukraine.
If you are wondering how Russia views the conflict, you can watch this NA interview with the consul in Barentsburg.
May 9 is set as a deadline for when Putin must have landed a victory he can celebrate in Russia. The reason is that May 9 is already a big day in Russia. It is the day when the Nazis surrendered in 1945. The hope is that in the years to come, Putin can add victory over the “Nazis in Ukraine” to this celebration.
Can be a long war
But sources also tell CNN that although Putin would like to have something to celebrate on May 9, the war in Ukraine could be much longer, and Putin is preparing for this to be a long and exhausting war.
In this sense, May 9 is also used as a good deadline for Russian forces to secure positions in Ukraine that they can hold for a longer period of time. The reason for this is that with spring also comes thawing of the soil. When the frost no longer hardens the ground, it becomes more difficult to move heavy vehicles over natural areas, and the war in Ukraine has already shown that paved roads are not very safe for Russian vehicles.
The United States also believes that Putin will now appoint a senior head of operations in Ukraine. It will probably be a general from the operations in the south, where Russia has succeeded in achieving its goals.
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