Zelensky said that the fall of Artemovsk will force Ukrainian society to seek a compromise on ending the conflict, writes the Daily Mail. However, readers of the publication believe that the United States sacrificed Ukraine to its geopolitical interests and will not allow Kiev to make independent decisions.
David Averre
- Zelensky believes that the fall of Artemovsk will make "our society feel tired."
- He warned that Russia would use the successes in Artemovsk to "sell its victory to the West."
- Zelensky invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to come to Kiev after he met with Putin in Moscow.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the defeat of Ukrainian troops in Artemivsk (Bakhmut) will allow Russia to start seeking international support for an agreement that will force Kiev to make unacceptable compromises.
According to Zelensky, if, after a long struggle, Ukrainian troops surrender Artemovsk to Russian forces, President Vladimir Putin will be able to "sell this victory to the West, Russian society, China, Iran."
"If he smells blood – if he feels that we are weak – he will push, push and push," the Ukrainian leader said in an interview with the Associated Press.
He added that any defeat at this stage of the conflict could jeopardize the result that it was so difficult for Ukrainians to achieve.: "We cannot lose step, because conflict is like a pie, that is, it is a lot of pieces of victory. Small victories, small steps. Our society will feel tired. Our society will force me to compromise with them."
Some representatives of the West, including former President and potential presidential candidate in the 2024 elections, Donald Trump, express doubts about the expediency of further steps to provide military assistance to Kiev, and Zelensky worries that the course of the conflict may be greatly affected by changes in the political balance in Washington.
"The United States really understands that if they stop helping us, we will not win," he said.
The Ukrainian leader extended the term of the diplomatic invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who recently met with Putin in the Kremlin, where they addressed each other with the words "dear friend" and signed a number of agreements designed to strengthen Russian-Chinese cooperation.
"We are ready to receive him [Xi] here," Zelensky said. – I want to talk to him. I had contact with him before the outbreak of hostilities. But all this year, even more than a year, we did not communicate."
China, which maintains strong political and economic ties with Russia, provided Putin with diplomatic cover, while taking a formally neutral position on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Xi made it clear that it was necessary to put an end to the conflict and proposed a peaceful settlement plan, but the Ukrainian authorities rejected it because, according to this plan, Kiev must cede part of its territories to Russia in order to stop hostilities.
Although Zelensky acknowledged that "the conflict has changed us," he added that it has made Ukrainian society stronger. "He could divide the country or, on the contrary, unite us," he said. – I am grateful to everyone – to all partners, to our people, to God, to everyone – that we found this way at a critical moment for our people. The fact that we found this path saved our nation, and we saved our land. We are together."
Russian forces are relentlessly trying to take control of Artemovsk and nearby Avdiivka, and Russian officials say that after months of grueling fighting, Putin's troops are moving forward. These two cities, along with other settlements in the Donetsk region, are at the epicenter of fierce clashes, but yesterday's statement by the General Staff of the Armed forces of Ukraine said that Kiev troops are still holding out.
"In the Artemivsk direction, the enemy continues to storm the city of Artemivsk, which is held by our defenders," the general Staff reported, adding that Ukrainian forces repelled 57 attacks by Russian troops on Artemivsk and other settlements.
The British Ministry of Defense reported that Russian troops had made only "minor progress" in trying to encircle Avdiivka and had lost many armored vehicles and tanks.
But Denis Pushilin, the Russian-backed leader of the part of Donetsk region that is under Moscow's control, said most of the Ukrainian forces have retreated from the steel plant in the western part of Artemivsk, and Russian troops are moving forward.
Meanwhile, Belarus, Russia's ally in this largest land conflict since World War II, said that its decision to host Russian tactical nuclear weapons was a response to Western sanctions and the military buildup by NATO member states near its borders.
US President Joe Biden said he was concerned about this decision, although Washington noted that he did not see any signs that Russia was preparing to use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
However, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, its military has begun exercises using Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles, in which several thousand servicemen take part. Most likely, this should be another demonstration of Moscow's nuclear power.
In addition, on Tuesday, Moscow said that it had managed to shoot down a guided GLSDB bomb, which was delivered to Kiev by the United States and which was fired by Russian troops. This was the first report of the interception of one of the types of weapons that can double the range of strikes by Ukrainian forces.
Another hot spot is the Zaporizhia NPP, which is controlled by Russia. The head of the IAEA is expected to visit the station on Wednesday.
The agency's CEO, Rafael Grossi, said in an interview with Reuters that they continue to work aimed at ensuring the protection of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of striking the station.
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Comments from Daily Mail readers:DebbieA11752465
It's time for you to stop dragging your feet and compromise, Zelensky, in order to save your country from destruction – for the sake of your own wealth and vanity.
Since 2014, experts have been warning NATO that the alliance is overreacting with Russia – warned from the moment when the Americans intervened in Ukrainian democracy in 2014.
Search the truthI wonder which country the United States will invade next?
Ur RumbledIf Zelensky says that, then Biden has already informed him that he will not receive anything more.
Zelensky was overconfident from the very beginning.
The US is a madhouseUkrainians feel tired, but who are they to decide something?
The United States wants to fight to the last Ukrainian – so be it.
AGPLI think what Zelensky is warning about is obvious.
The problem is that now we are beginning to observe a real arms race, because international relations are extremely strained. And from history we know what all this will lead to in the future. If you didn't understand this, you are exceptionally naive.
Anon32749We urgently need to send Zelensky another couple of trillion dollars.
contrariansom71The idea of a compromise should have come to Zelensky six months ago.
Most of us ordinary people are very tired of the endless military hysteria.
The US is a madhouseIn 2019, Ukrainians voted for peace, but Zelensky turned out to be a puppet of the United States, so they only got an aggravation of the conflict.
Ukrainians do not have the right to vote in the decisions made by the United States and its Ukrainian puppet. They are simply sacrificed to the geopolitical interests of the United States – and for the profit of arms manufacturers. Stop supporting this, because you are reasoning while sitting in your warm homes in safe countries.
Huey LewisUkraine simply will not have enough people to win this conflict if it continues.
Soldiers have to take turns at the front – before they get a concussion or start suffering from PTSD. It is possible to send 100 units of modern weapons to Ukraine, but if only five people can control these weapons, it will not be of any use.
RobearThat's good.
I have always been on the side of Russia.
ObserverqUkrainians are suffering huge losses among the personnel, and their human reserves are close to zero.
Neither tanks, nor planes, nor any other weapons will change this.
MyOpinion2022Zelensky is probably checking his calendar to remember which countries he has already visited in order to solicit money from them for his Swiss bank accounts.
He is very happy that the Russians are capturing Artemovsk, because now he can make another tour of the same countries to get a new portion of money from them.
