Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky says more supplies are needed on the frontlines of the war with Russia.
By Stefan J. Bos
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv is working to assess the need for additional supplies in the Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions, as Russia claimed fresh battlefield gains and U.S. President Donald Trump voiced frustration with Moscow’s unwillingness to negotiate a peace deal.
Zelenskyy stressed he was in close contact with the so-called “Coalition of the Willing”—a group of European nations and the United States—and added that security guarantees for Ukraine would be outlined soon.
Russia announced over the weekend that its forces in eastern Ukraine had taken two villages in the Donetsk region, increasing military pressure on the ground as world leaders struggle to broker an end to Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II.
Trump has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for being unwilling to meet Zelenskyy to discuss a possible peace deal. Asked why Putin was reluctant, Trump replied: “Because he doesn’t like him. He doesn’t like him, you know? I have people I don’t like. I don’t like to meet with them. Sometimes they do like to meet with people I don’t like. They [Putin and Zelenskyy] don’t like, you know, they don’t like each other, really.”
The U.S. president claimed the war would never have broken out if he had been in office. He argued that Putin launched his full-scale invasion in February 2022 after the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, which Trump said made the United States look weak.
Drones cross borders
He spoke as the battles continued to spill into nearby nations.
Estonia confirmed Tuesday that a combat drone—presumed to be Ukrainian—went off course and exploded near the southeastern town of Tartu, 75 kilometers, or about 47 miles, from Russia.
No casualties were reported.
Last week, Poland’s defense minister denounced what he called a Russian provocation after a Russian drone crashed and exploded in a field in eastern Poland.
Similar incidents have also been reported in Romania, Lithuania, and Latvia.
The developments underscore how the war continues to reverberate across borders, with both military and political tensions escalating more than three and a half years after Russia’s invasion.
