Zelensky calls for increased pressure on Russia as aides convene in Paris for peace talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on Thursday, intensified his plea for international intervention, urging “pressure” on Russia to end the nearly three-year-long war, as his top aides traveled to Paris for critical discussions with US and EU officials.

This appeal coincides with a day of intense Russian attacks, which reportedly resulted in at least 10 deaths and numerous injuries across Ukraine.

“Russia uses every day and every night to kill. We must put pressure on the killers… to end this war and guarantee a lasting peace,” Zelensky stated in a Telegram post, highlighting the daily violence faced by his nation.

Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, announced his arrival in Paris, accompanied by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, to engage in talks with US, British, German, and French officials. However, the exact participants remained undisclosed.

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Notably, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, are scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss potential ceasefire strategies. This meeting follows a series of devastating Russian air strikes on Ukrainian cities, sparking widespread condemnation from Kyiv and European nations.

Zelensky’s office revealed that the delegation in Paris will focus on “bringing peace to Ukraine,” adding, “Among other things, the parties will discuss ways to implement a full and unconditional ceasefire, the deployment of a multinational military contingent to ensure security, and the further development of Ukraine’s security architecture,” according to a presidential statement.

The Kremlin, however, dismissed the significance of these talks, accusing Ukraine’s allies of prolonging the conflict. “Unfortunately we see from Europeans a focus on continuing the war,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, when questioned about the anticipated outcomes of the meetings.

On the ground, Russia launched a “massive” drone attack on the city of Dnipro overnight, resulting in three deaths and more than 30 injuries, as reported by local governor Sergiy Lysak. The attacks also caused fires in residential apartment buildings.

“Two more were killed in artillery strikes in Nikopol, down south from Dnipro,” Lysak added, while local officials reported additional fatalities in the frontline areas of the Donetsk and Kherson regions.

Furthermore, Russia’s military claimed to have captured a small village in the eastern Donetsk region, where their forces have been steadily advancing for several months.

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