Zelenskiy, a Ukrainian politician, mocks Russian military efforts and says that Moscow rejects any peace proposals
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mocked Russia’s military?drive. He said that the Kremlin had over a period of four years'set and put off 15 deadlines for capturing the eastern Donbas?region.
Zelenskiy?s comments were a reaction to Russian President Vladimir Putin rejecting a Ukrainian proposal a day before, which the Kremlin leader claimed was an offer to stop long-range attacks and reduce the fighting.
He said that Putin's remarks showed he wasn't in touch with the feelings and frustrations of Russians, who were facing long queues at gas stations due to an Ukrainian campaign of strikes on oil industry targets.
Zelenskiy stated in his video nightly address that "even an oil-producing country, or a 'gasstation' as Russia is often called, faces fuel shortages."
"This is the direct result of war." It is just one of many. "This is a good example of how Ukraine can respond -- precisely, and not by terrorism."
Zelenskiy explained in great detail what he claimed were 15 deadlines that the Kremlin had set -- and then'reversed' -- over a period of four years in order to capture four areas in eastern Ukraine - Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.
He said that "Russian political leadership is still obsessed with Donbas." "If Russia doesn't end the war, they will have to push back that deadline again."
After the February 2022 invasion, Russian forces attempted to advance towards the capital Kyiv. However, when they were unable to do so, they withdrew from the city and concentrated their efforts on capturing Donbas.
Russia has captured the entire?Luhansk Region and large portions of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and other regions.
While Moscow's forces slowly advance through the Donetsk Region, Ukrainian officials claim that the advance has slowed down considerably as Ukraine intensifies its campaign of long and medium-range drone attacks.
In a televised Sunday interview,?Putin stated that Russian forces will?press on with their battlefield goal of capturing all four Ukrainian regions.
He admitted that fuel shortages affect Russians, but he rejected what he called a new Ukrainian initiative to reduce hostilities.
Zelenskiy did not comment on what the Russian President portrayed as "a new proposal" in his open letter to Putin this month.
Zelenskiy stated that Ukraine has already made?proposals for a peaceful end to the war, "and Russia rejects these proposals every time".
He warned Russians "who are arguing in the fuel queues and have not yet been mobilised" to think about what they face. (Reporting and editing by Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozoukhar)
(source: Reuters)
