Russia goals to occupy all Ukrainian territory east of the Dnipro River and advance towards Odesa and Mykolaiv in a broader plan to sever Ukraine's entry to the Black Sea, President Volodymyr Zelensky's Deputy Chief of Workers Pavlo Palisa stated, Politico reported on June 6.
The remarks come amid persevering with Russian offensives in jap and northern Ukraine, together with escalating diplomatic efforts which have but to yield a ceasefire.
In line with Ukraine's navy intelligence company (HUR), Moscow hopes to grab everything of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts by this fall and set up a buffer zone alongside Ukraine's northern border with Russia.
The second part of the plan envisions extra bold territorial beneficial properties, together with an advance into southern Ukraine geared toward reducing the nation off from the ocean.
"Sadly, they don’t seem to be talking about peace. They’re getting ready for battle," Palisa stated throughout a press briefing on the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington.
The warning comes days after Russia offered Ukraine with a so-called "peace memorandum" throughout a second spherical of negotiations in Istanbul on June 2.
The doc, printed by Russian state media outlet TASS, calls for that Kyiv acknowledge Russia's claimed annexation of 4 Ukrainian oblasts — Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk — and absolutely withdraw from them.
Moscow additionally requires Ukraine's demobilization and a proper ban on NATO membership.
Throughout the talks, Ukraine's delegation submitted a separate proposal calling for an all-for-all prisoner alternate, the return of kidnapped Ukrainian kids, and the discharge of civilians held in Russian captivity.
Kyiv additionally reiterated its name for a Western-backed 30-day ceasefire as a basis for future negotiations — a proposal Moscow once more rejected.
Ukraine's navy management has warned that Russian forces are getting ready for a significant summer time offensive in Donetsk Oblast, the place every day assaults have continued since 2022.
Regardless of struggling heavy losses, Russian troops are advancing by means of mass wave assaults that achieve solely tens of meters per day. In line with the U.S.-based Heart for Strategic and Worldwide Research (CSIS), Moscow presently occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine.
The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk
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